Purgatory
by G-Town Hoya
Summary: In addition to the heartbreak abound professionally, difficult choices are made when JJ is forced to choose whether she wants to be with the complex and dark Emily Prentiss or the simplistic Will. Is JJ's physical connection with the brunette profiler enough to overcome everything else? This is an Emily/JJ/Will love triangle with cases thrown in. This work begins in season 2.
1. A Knock at the Door

**This is going to be an Emily/JJ femslash read that is filled with drama mixed in with both cannon and original criminal stories. I'm going to start with cannon cases while I establish the relationship and will add in some original cases as we get further in.**

**The setting is in season 2 after the episode Legacy, however, there will be some elements from later seasons thrown in. And Henry fans prepare yourself as he will NOT appear in this work.**

** Tell me in the comments section if you're interested in reading this because otherwise I have some other ideas I'm working with and I'll just stop it here and expound on those. **

**As always I own none of the characters.**

It always starts with a knock at the door.

She wasn't even sure of what she was doing, well that was a lie. She knew exactly what she was doing, what she wanted. Was it right? Maybe not, probably not. But in that moment she didn't care about right or wrong, wise or stupid, all she cared about was the one person she wanted more than anyone else. They had just gotten back from a case, a case where a vigilante felt it was his right, no duty, to abduct and murder prostitutes and the homeless, in a meat market no less. They had seen worse cases but this one affected her, it affected her because if it wasn't for a tenacious detective she would have never taken the case. Maybe it was just everything compounding together, Spence being kidnapped, Spence possibly being addicted to drugs, victims being hunted in the woods, it all added up. She was drowning from it and she only wanted one person to save her. She should have called _him_, but all she wanted was _her_.

"Emily it's JJ can you please open up?" she softly pleaded as she continued to lightly knock on the door, the door to the apartment she shouldn't have even known about. _How am I going to explain to Emily that I know where she lives? Fuck she's going to think I'm a stalker. Am I stalker? Fuck me…_

JJ's thoughts were interrupted by Emily opening the door looking exceptionally confused. She was wearing a white tank top with red silk boxers and JJ noticed that her normally perfect hair looked mussed. She was breathtaking wearing no makeup and looked completely raw. In that moment she was completely Emily, not Agent Prentiss and JJ loved seeing her that way. It was obvious that she had been sleeping.

Emily blinked and refocused on JJ, "JJ?" She tried to ask before JJ entered into the foyer and closed to door, pining Emily against it as she kissed her passionately. If Emily thought she was confused before she had no idea what she was then. _Why the fuck is JJ making out with me at 3am? _

"Fuck, I need this" JJ breathlessly said as she started kissing Emily's neck, finally giving Emily a chance to speak.

"JJ what are you doing?" Emily asked gently as she tried to control her breathing. She had to admit that whatever was happening felt great.

"Stop over thinking it" JJ mumbled against Emily's pulse point.

"JJ I didn't even know you were gay."

JJ stopped what she was doing to face the brunette, "I'm not gay, I just don't believe in labels. I believe in doing what feels right with the person it feels right with. It feels right with you." Emily bit her bottom lip as she tried to process what JJ had just said. JJ started to run her hands up Emily's sides, "have you never…" she drifted off.

"College, experimenting" Emily admitted as she lightly pushed JJ's hands away.

"Do you not want this?"

Emily furrowed her brow as she focused, "What is this?"

JJ was getting frustrated, "Fuck Emily I just want this to happen. Stop thinking about everything and just go with it."

Emily would have to be lying if she didn't admit that she found JJ attractive. She knew she wasn't gay but she also knew that JJ was alluring in the most traditional of senses. "Okay" Emily agreed hastily.

"Okay" JJ reiterated as she went back to undressing Emily as she pushed her towards where she assumed Emily's bedroom would be.

"How do you know where I live?"

"Pen" JJ growled as she moved to kissing down Emily's neck.

"What?"

"If she asks I sent you a pizza because I noticed you didn't eat much on the case" JJ chuckled as her and Emily fell on Emily's bed. "Nice bed" she complimented as she straddled the brunette profiler.

"Thanks" Emily moaned as JJ's hands started to move down her body.

"Don't thank me yet" JJ quipped as Emily started to work on getting the offending clothing off JJ's body.

* * *

><p>Emily awoke the next morning to discover that her pale legs were intertwined with a set of lightly tanned ones. <em>FUCK! I had sex with JJ. I just fucked my co-worker, my female co-worker no less. I haven't had sex with a woman in what? Almost 15 years. And when I did it didn't exactly feel like that. Who knew small-town Jareau was so skilled. Fuck, you shouldn't be thinking like that Prentiss! But she was the one who came over here to have sex with me, she practically begged me to have sex with her. God this is going to be so awkward and I can't even leave because I live here. And JJ is a fucking stalker because I know I didn't tell her where I lived <em>Emily internally rambled as she noticed JJ staring at her.

"You think loud" she smiled.

"Was I talking to myself out loud?" Emily asked both horrified and embarrassed.

"No, you bit your bottom lip. You do that when you're thinking really hard. So last night was amazing" JJ ventured with a large smile.

"Yeah, no, it was but I'm just, JJ what is this exactly because I am very confused."

"Let me clear up exactly what I want for and from you" JJ answered seductively before Emily stopped her, putting her hands up in front of her body.

"I'm serious, you know how the FBI is with fraternization."

JJ scoffed, "We're not fraternizing."

"Then what is this?" Emily asked as she motioned to their naked bodies in bed together.

"This is you being there for me. And when you need it I'll be there for you" JJ replied with a knowing smile. "By the way Prentiss when was the last time you released the tension?"

"Umm" Emily stuttered.

"Prentiss."

"About 5 or 6 months, maybe before I got to D.C."

JJ looked floored, "Before you go to D.C. What the fuck Emily?"

"I don't have time to date between work and trying to prove myself to Hotch, trying to show that I belong in the BAU. And I don't do one night stands because it feels cheap."

JJ rolled her eyes, "You should have come to me sooner."

"JJ I didn't come to you at all, you came here."

"Say come again" JJ laughed as she tried to fix her messy hair. "Listen, I'm not looking for a relationship. I don't want anything complicated because you're right we work together with profilers, but I do want to do this. I want to work out our frustrations about cases. I want to feel like I can connect to someone sometimes. That's what I want, what I need. And I think it'd be a good thing for you too."

"So you just want to have sex with me? Use me for sex?"

"No, Emily" JJ said as she moved a strand of hair behind Emily's ear, "I want us to be there for each other in a way that only we can."

"And if I say no will you move on to Reid or Morgan?" Emily asked with a small smile.

"Gross, neither" she giggled.

"You bit me last night."

"You liked it" JJ winked.

"You also gave me a hickie" Emily remarked as she thought back to the dark mark on her right hipbone.

"Well, no one else is going to see it."

"So we're not seeing other people are we, right?" Emily inquired as she tried to clarify whatever this was with JJ.

JJ sighed, "Em, we're not together officially. We're friends who just know each other very intimately. You can do this right?'

Emily wasn't sure, JJ had been the first person that had welcomed her to the team. They had a great friendship, even though it was new. But Emily didn't let her emotional guard down, ever. So when she actually did it mattered. Sure she hadn't thought of it in romantic terms until the night before, but she wasn't sure that she could be involved intimately without getting attached. She wondered if it was even possible emotionally. Hell, she had even felt connected to Ian Doyle, who was a sick piece of shit that she hated on the most basic of levels. Sex made things messy, good sex made things messier. But, ultimately, Emily lied, "Sure."

JJ gave her a wide smile, "Perfect."

"Perfect." However, as soon as Emily uttered that word she knew it would never be true.

**Friends with benefits always turns out perfectly right?**


	2. Exclusivity

**To any worried this isn't going to be a story where Emily is sexually assaulted by Will. This is more centered on Emily and JJ with Will, and other people, in the background. **

**Once again, thanks for reading and reviewing. **

The next few weeks with JJ were strange for Emily, in a good way. Nevertheless, as a profiler she knew something was off, but as a woman in a new relationship with someone she was really taken with, she didn't know what it was. It did seem weird that every two weeks JJ would be off to see her mother or spending time with "friends." Emily knew that JJ was likable but who had time for friends outside of the BAU?

Despite those small worries, things with JJ felt comfortable. They spent large quantities of time together and somehow didn't tire of one another. In fact they craved their time alone. Sure both of them rationalized that it was all about the amazing sex, but in reality they knew that it was something deeper, which scared them both. The idea of a real relationship terrified Emily, as she was emotionally guarded and felt that she was tainted to a degree. Life had been difficult for her even though she would never admit it. Very few people knew how she craved a sense of belonging, of how she overcompensated to prove that she belonged. But she would never concede that she deeply desired to be accepted. She was bred not to. She was groomed to suppress her emotions and never to display her sensitive side. The very idea of being vulnerable and exposed to someone else was terrifying to her. But JJ felt different, maybe it was because they were friends. She felt safe with JJ, confident that the blonde would never hurt her, intentionally anyway.

On the other hand, JJ was afraid to commit to anyone at all, especially Emily. She was drawn to Emily, yes, but she didn't know anything about her. Over the months of spending just about every waking hour with the brunette she had learned that she liked cats, hated politics, was apathetic about religion, wasn't close to her mother, went to Yale, and knew several languages; and most of what she had learned about Emily was from Garcia. Then there was the fact that dating Emily would mean compromising more of her personal life to the team. How soon before would the team start analyzing every aspect of their relationship if they had one? She worked with profilers and that was bad enough, she certainly didn't want to date one. And then there was Will, a decent man who she had met in New Orleans. Was he a bad guy? No. But was he Emily? No. He was simple, he wasn't complex or exceptionally intelligent. Will didn't seem to have secrets or hidden pains. He was open with her about what he wanted, she didn't know if she wanted to give him those things but at least he was honest about wanting them. There was also the bonus that he didn't work with her. Their being together wouldn't force either one of them out of a job. JJ knew Emily was connected and that Strauss would never want a powerful diplomat with D.C. connections as an enemy. JJ felt that if it came to it, without a doubt she would be fired over Emily.

* * *

><p>It was about six weeks after the first night they spent together and JJ was going to see her mother, again. Emily wondered how JJ could go to visit her mom again after just 4 weeks. Admittedly, her and her own mother didn't have the best relationship, but wasn't a visit a month a little excessive? Emily was pulled out of her thoughts by a phone call. She got off her sofa from watching TV to get her phone, which was charging on her kitchen counter. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon and Emily was just lounging around in her old Yale t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. Emily cringed when she saw the name on her phone's caller ID, <em>Elizabeth Prentiss.<em>

"Say her name and she will come" Emily mumbled thinking back to her internal conversation about mothers. "Prentiss" Emily answered with a grin, knowing how her greeting would upset her mother.

"Emily, the FBI had wreaked havoc on your manners" Elizabeth scolded as Emily suppressed a snicker.

"Sorry mother, what can I do for you?"

"More like what I can do for you darling?"

_Fuck me, _"Mother?"

"As you know I have received a new assignment back in Belgium, but before I relocate I was planning on attending a charity function my acquaintance Catherine is hosting."

"That's nice."

"Emily, I wish for you to attend with me. There's also a man I'm interested in you meeting." _I can't believe this, I don't want to go on a date with some politically minded blue blood my mother picked out. Like she has the best tastes in spouses. Not to mention I'm with JJ. Well, kinda, but not really. Fuck, why do things have to be so complicated with her? Why can't she act like a normal person and not be so fucking paranoid about everything? For someone who's all "I don't definite myself, do what feels right" she sure does have a lot of rules. _Emily was again shaken from her thoughts by the stern voice of her mother, "Emily are you still there?"

"Mother."

"Emily, you aren't getting any younger. You are my only child and you should be conscious of the fact that I would like to become a grandmother before I die."

Emily scoffed, "Yeah like I can see that."

"Emily what are you implying?"

"You aren't the most maternal woman"

"Emily I don't wish to argue with you about this nonsense again, I merely want to invite you out and want to give you an opportunity to meet a friend of mine. He's a corporate attorney and his name is Samuel Cobb. I think he would be a good fit for you."

"Mother" Emily pleaded.

"Emily you shouldn't let that job of yours dictate your personal life."

_Yeah like you made sure yours never did. But I guess blaming the BAU again won't work this time. _"I'm seeing someone" Emily blurted out before considering the repercussions.

"Who?"

"A man" Emily replied quickly.

"Obviously, but does this man have a name?"

A panicked Emily looked over to the TV and uttered the first name that came to her mind, "Luc Picard." _Fuck! How could anyone not know such a blatant Star Trek reference like that? Fuck my life. _

"And what does this Luke do?"

_She bought it? Would it be too obvious to say astronaut? _Before Emily had a chance to think of a job she heard Elizabeth cough softly on the other end of the phone. Emily was running out of time and rashly answered, "Yoga instructor."

"Yoga?" Her mother asked with her voice lacking any sense of amusement.

"Yeah, but he used to be an investment banker." _Hopefully this could hold off that vulture._

"I see."

"But he's also an investor."

"In?"

Emily grinned, "Energy, technology and space exploration."

"That's interesting, and when do I get to meet this Mr. Picard?"

"Umm, he's in Burma" Emily replied, louder that she should have.

"And what is this Luc Picard doing in Myanmar?"

"He's building a school?"

"Was that a question?"

Emily pinched the bridge of her nose, "I can't remember if he went to help build a school or an orphanage. Anyway he won't be back for a while so you can't meet him. I'm sorry mother."

"Well then I should be going, if you change your mind about the yoga instructor…"

"And humanitarian and investor" Emily interrupted to add.

"Yes, that, if you change your mind about him let me know. I think Samuel and you would fit well together."

"Bye mother" Emily said hanging up the phone as she tossed it away swiftly as if it was diseased. "Luc Picard, the Yoga instructor-investor who is doing humanitarian work in Burma, sorry Myanmar" Emily rolled her eyes as she mumbled to herself. "I used to be an undercover agent, how did I get so bad at lying?"

A few hours later Emily was thinking about her mother, and JJ of course, until she heard her doorbell ring. She automatically knew who it was.

"Hey JJ" she greeted the exhausted blonde who threw her bag on the floor and stumbled in.

"So tired" she complained as she lied down on Emily's sofa.

"How was your mom?" Emily asked as she lifted JJ's head and sat down, gently placing her _friend's? _head on her lap.

"Fine" JJ grumbled.

Emily started running her hands through JJ's hair while JJ smiled at the soothing touch, "Mine called."

"And?"

"She wanted to set me up on a date" Emily laughed. But before she was about to continue to tell JJ about the horrible lie she had told her mother JJ cut in.

"So are you going to go?"

Emily scoffed at the question, "No. Isn't that a little gross?"

"Why?" JJ asked, invested in Emily's answer.

"Umm because I'm already sleeping with someone and normally when you date someone sex is implied. It's either be a complete tease or a complete slut."

"Slut?" JJ questioned as she sat up to face Emily.

"It's a little slutty to sleep with two people at once isn't it? It's just gross" Emily shuddered at the idea.

"Emily we're not dating, we are not exclusive or anything like that."

"I know, trust me" Emily was starting to get irritated, "you mention it all the time."

"So what would be wrong with you actually meeting someone that you could end up?"

"First off, my mother would never set me up with anyone I actually liked. Last time she set me up on a date he was an oil lobbyist. And second, I will repeat myself, I am not a whore. I don't sleep with multiple people at the same time and anyone who does is a slut, I'm sorry" Emily shrugged.

"Maybe you're just sexually repressed" JJ argued as she crossed her arms.

"We have sex like five times a week, what the fuck are you talking about?"

JJ laughed at Emily's statement, "I think you're sexually repressed because you're judging people for having more than one sexual partner and you're making an assumption even though you know nothing about their circumstances. Maybe not everyone can take a fucking vow of celibacy like you" JJ accused in a bitter tone.

"Well, sorry. I didn't realize that you were the spokesperson for the slut collective."

"Fuck you Emily" JJ said as she got off the sofa to stare down at the brunette. This disagreement was escalating quickly. "You know what I think? I think that little international Emily Prentiss sure got around before she turned into such a prude, trying to make up for all that time she spent as a member of the 'slut collective.'"

Emily looked down at the floor before quietly replying, "Get out."

"What?"

"Get the fuck out of my house!" Emily shouted. "Get out!" she ordered as JJ just stood there stupefied.

"You're acting like a fucking psycho" she accused.

"And you're a bitch, now get out" Emily ordered as she opened the front door and threw JJ's bag into the hallway.

"Fine" JJ relented as she left the apartment. JJ walked to her car with tears in her eyes as Emily leaned against her front door and slid down to sit on the floor. They had both been easily offended by the unassuming statements made by the other party. Emily was ashamed about her past. She was ashamed that she got pregnant at 15 by a boy that wasn't even her boyfriend. She was ashamed because she did see herself as promiscuous, and JJ was right about her. She did try to overcompensate for those feelings by making sure that she didn't take sexual relationships lightly.

JJ also found herself offended by Emily's earlier statement. How would the brunette really feel about her if she knew the truth? JJ tried to make sure that it was established that the two weren't dating, but she would be lying if she claimed that she couldn't tell that Emily was becoming attached to her. She'd also be lying if she tried to claim that she didn't feel connected to Emily on an emotional level. That's why she cared so deeply about what Emily thought about her. How would Emily view her if she knew the truth?

* * *

><p><em>4 Hours Earlier<em>

_"Mon chère" Will drawled in his southern accent. "I'm going to miss you."_

_"Yeah" JJ nodded._

_"When you going to move down here? Sure now I like feeling all James Bond, meeting up in airport lounges" he winked. She shuttered when Will tried to be clever. Will wasn't clever or charming, Emily was. And she hated it when he tried. "But I want more of this" he added as he kissed her neck. _

_"Will stop, we're in public" she ordered as she swatted him away._

_"What? Can't I touch my girl? You sure didn't mind last night" he winked again. _

_"Will remember what I said, we're not exclusive and I am not your girl" JJ reminded him defiantly._

_"I know but I don't like it. I don't like wondering if you're seeing some other guy."_

_"I'm not seeing another guy" JJ assured with a small smile._

_"Good. But still you make the effort to come out to see me and you say we're not really together. I just don't get it" Will shrugged._

_"Will, it's complicated."_

_"Everything is always so complicated" he whined. _

_"I know" JJ conceded as she rubbed his forearm. "I have to get going."_

_"Does anyone even know about us yet?"_

_"No."_

_"What do you say when you come out here or when I come see you?"_

_"I don't say anything" she lied._

_"And when will you?"_

_"I don't know, not today."_

_Will got a smug smile, "But maybe tomorrow."_

_"I don't know, I have to go" she repeated as she got off the stool to leave. He pulled her into a kiss, but all she could think about was going home to Emily. _

_"Call me when you get home" he requested._

_"I'll try."_

_"Do it."_

_"Okay" she huffed as she walked towards the metal detectors. He waved dumbly at her as she just smiled. She liked Will, he was a good guy, but when she was with him some of her thoughts would drift to Emily. But things with Emily would never be simple enough, and on some levels a relationship just had to be simple. It had to be easy. Things with Will were easy, they were simple._

* * *

><p>"Baby girl what the fuck is going on between Prentiss and JJ?" Morgan asked the next afternoon as he waltzed into Garcia's office.<p>

"Derek!" She scolded as his swift opening of the door blew a few papers of hers on the floor.

"What?"

"Those were important" she pouted. "Anyways, what's wrong with our blonde liaison and our raven haired profiler of love?"

Morgan shrugged as he sat down on an empty chair, "I don't know, they're just acting weird."

"Explain" Garcia commanded as she scooted up in her chair.

"Okay so you know how they are normally inseparable and seem to always be spending their spare time together?"

"Yes."

"Well, today none of that. No talking or bringing each other coffee and they didn't even take lunch together."

"Are they busy?"

"Not anymore than usual."

Garcia twirled around in her chair to face the computer screen as she began to fervently type and pull up the video footage of JJ's office. "JJ looks bored."

"And Prentiss looks more Agent Prentiss than usual" Morgan added.

"Okay I'm going to do some recon on blondie and you take the Emster" Garcia ordered as she promptly left her lair and headed towards JJ's office. However, she quickly turned around on her heel, almost knocking Morgan over, and rushed back into the room. "I got it!"

"What is baby girl?" Morgan asked dumbfounded.

"Okay so Emily and JJ are supposedly good friends now, right?"

"Right" Morgan agreed still confused.

"Well last month JJ and I went out for some drinks and she drunkenly dropped her purse on the floor and wouldn't you know she had a bunch of receipts fall out from New Orleans!" Garcia exclaimed with a wink.

"And?"

"She gave her number to that detective Will and she has been seeing him ever since."

"What does this have to do with Prentiss?"

"Oh my god, my chocolate thunder you cannot be this slow" Garcia ranted as she face palmed. "Emily must have found out that JJ and him were secretly dating and JJ didn't tell her. I was mad about it too because, you know, we're supposed to be friends and she hides this from me."

"So Prentiss is mad because JJ didn't trust her" Morgan said agreeing with the assessment.

"And JJ is mad because Emily never tells anyone anything about herself so why should she have to confide in Emily?"

Morgan nodded his head with a smile, "You are so good."

"You have no idea" she said seductively.

Morgan laughed before a perplexed look appeared on his face again, "Will the detective?"

"Yeah why?"

"He looks like a goon."

Garcia laughed, "And he is barely understandable, but maybe he's a nice guy."

"Reid said he looked like a Batman villain" Morgan added with a grin.

Garcia waved him off, "He probably still has the hots for JJ. But I had to admit I was surprised when I found out they were seeing each other."

"How so?"

"Well I was sure that JJ had a crush on our newest profiler."

Morgan looked shocked, "Prentiss?"

"Yeah."

"But she's a…" he trailed off.

"Oh my clueless profiler friend, didn't you know that our JJ likes a little lady loving?"

Morgan smirked, "No I did not."

Garcia went to stoke his face, "so beautiful and yet so dumb."

"Hey!"

"Sorry but for a profiler you are clueless."

"We're not supposed to profile the team" Morgan defended as he crossed his arms against his chest.

"Well I can see you've been following that rule" Garcia giggled as she pushed Morgan out of her office.

**Spoiler alert, this won't end well. **

**How soon do you think Emily will find out about Will? And how will she? **

**More Emily/JJ scenes to come in the next chapter before the real drama begins. **


	3. Chinese Take Out

Emily groaned when she heard a knock at the door. She reluctantly left her wine and trudged towards the offering noise. "What do you want JJ?" Emily yelled over the door, already knowing who the visitor was. No one else, save for maybe Garcia, knew where she lived.

"I brought dinner" a cheerful voice yelled back.

"Go away."

"It's Chinese."

Emily slowly opened the door to find JJ standing there smiling with a brown bag, "Come in" Emily motioned as she left the door open.

"Listen Emily, I want you to know I'm really sorry about what I said. I should have never claimed those things about you. It was cruel and hurtful and you have every right to be upset with me, but I hope you can forgive me."

Emily looked down to the floor, "It's fine, I shouldn't have been so judgmental. I was just surprised that you would want me to go on a date."

JJ smiled at the brunette, missing entirely what Emily was really upset about, "Well I want you to be happy."

Emily shrugged, "Yeah I guess."

"Emily we're friends, I want you to be happy" JJ smiled again.

"Thanks" Emily said giving her a half-smile that didn't make it to her eyes. Emily was realizing that her happiness was depending more and more on JJ and it was unhealthy. JJ didn't really want her in that way, and Emily knew that this arrangement was killing her. But something is better than nothing, right? JJ was probably just frightened by relationships, like she was, but maybe JJ would warm up to the idea in time. Emily walked into her kitchen to get two plates and an extra wine glass. "So how was your day?"

"Shitty, I had so many cases come across my desk. Sometimes I wonder if we are ever really helping" JJ replied softly.

"Don't say that" Emily gently commanded as she sat down next to her blonde counterpart. "You do the best you can with what you have, it's not like the BAU can help everyone. You just had a hard day because you have a tough job, tougher than mine."

"You think so" JJ chuckled.

However, Emily's tone remained serious, "I do" she answered as she took a sip of wine. "We only see the cases you give us, you see everything. We wonder if we could've done more on the one case we just worked on, you doubt yourself about the stacks of cases you've had to turn down. Add to that dealing with those media vampires who suck everything out of you and you are left with a clusterfuck of stress. You should consider everyday you don't have a mental breakdown extremely successful" she added with a grin.

"I appreciate that" JJ spoke up with emotion in her voice.

"You shouldn't have to appreciate the truth" Emily comforted as she moved the blonde hair covering JJ's neck and kissed the exposed skin. "Don't ever doubt how great you are at your job" she mumbled against JJ's ear as her warm breath sent shivers down JJ's body.

"I won't" JJ choked out as Emily took her earlobe into her mouth and nipped at it gently. "I missed this" JJ commented as she shifted to better face the brunette.

"Me too" Emily smiled as she pulled JJ into a kiss while JJ started to undress Emily. "Bedroom now?"

"Not enough time" JJ laughed as the duo remained on the sofa. Three orgasms later, a spent JJ laughed at Emily who was lighting running her fingers over JJ's arm, drawing different patterns.

"What?"

"You were watching Dr. Who" she giggled. "I thought for a second that I was having sex with Reid."

"Shut up" Emily playfully scolded as she hit JJ's arm. "Wait a second, you were watching TV while we were having sex?"

"Are you honestly offended?" JJ asked trying to suppress a smile.

"Well yeah, we were having sex and you were watching TV."

"Okay first of all honey do not doubt your skills, you are very good. And the only reason I looked at the TV was because you were, ahem, attending to other matters and I heard something weird in a British accent coming from the TV" JJ explained with a smile.

"So you've never faked anything right?" Emily asked looking extremely self-conscious.

"No" JJ said firmly.

"So be honest" JJ nodded at Emily's request. "How often do you fantasize about Reid in bed?" Emily asked with a smirk.

"Shut up."

"I just need to know for my personal records" Emily joked as she started to tickle JJ's sides. "Once, twice?"

"Every damn time" JJ laughed.

"Well you have to do what you have to do."

"So who is it for you Prentiss?"

"Garcia" Emily replied, snickering as JJ's face sunk.

"Fuck you Prentiss" JJ playfully scolded.

"If I remember correctly you just did. What was that, two times?"

"I think three."

Emily grinned, "No, I got two and you got three. You sneaky little tease."

"Well, let's see if we can remedy this" JJ challenged as she straddled Emily again and began to suck on the brunette's pulse point, prompting a moan. Unfortunately for them, before things could do any further JJ's phone rang.

"You should get it" Emily breathlessly said.

"No" JJ replied sternly as she continued kissing hey way down Emily's body.

"Hotch" Emily moaned as JJ hit an especially sensitive spot near Emily's hipbone.

JJ smirked and looked up at the brunette as the phone stopped ringing, "Thinking of someone else are we?"

"No, what if it's Hotch?" Emily questioned flushed and frustrated by JJ's momentary pause.

"I don't care" JJ confessed as she went back to what she was doing before her phone rang again. This time she answered, "Jareau. Okay. I'll be there and inform the rest of the team." JJ hung up the phone and looked at Emily who sighed as they started to get redressed.

"Case?"

"Involving Gideon" JJ cringed.

"What do we know?"

"Not enough" JJ answered as they both rushed out the door, trying to fix their hair as they walked through the hallway.

* * *

><p>The case had been a difficult one and the entire team had felt like they had failed, they had failed one of their own. But there was one profiler in particular that had to cope with additional stress. She was called upon to turn on her boss, to end his career. The words or Erin Strauss kept repeating through her head, "There were those who thought assigning you to the BAU wasn't a good idea, that you were too reckless. I believed in you, however, it's time to pay back the faith I had." Had she only been accepted into the BAU in a political maneuver? Had Strauss always wanted her to do something like this? Had she counted on her to be like her mother? Had she been hired only because of who her mother was? All the sacrifices she made undercover, were they worth anything? Was she still not good enough? Would she ever be? Throughout all the self-doubt all she wanted was JJ, the person she didn't really have. It would be against the rules to go running to the blonde searching for comfort or guidance, and how would JJ react when she found out the truth anyway? How would she react when she found out the real reason Emily was in the BAU? So Emily did the only thing she knew how to, she pulled away.<p>

JJ had noticed over the next few days that things with Emily were strained at best, but she made it her goal not to get too invested. Emily was an enigma and trying to figure her out was nothing but torturous. Being shrouded in secrecy was what originally drew JJ to Emily, but it was also what simultaneously made her want to push Emily away. JJ spent hours wondering how she could be interested in two very different people. Will was simple to understand, easy, comfortable. Emily for her part was complex, impossible to read, fiercely guarded, and challenging. Neither personality was superior to the other, but they were extremely different. Ultimately, though, Will made it easier for JJ, which outraged her. Because all she wanted was to foresee some sort of a future with Emily, but she couldn't. In the simplest of terms, Emily was a beautiful mess.

**We've moved into season 3 timeline wise, however an unpopular certain someone who appears in season 6 will make their ****appearance shortly. **

**Any predictions? **


	4. Resignations and a 2x4

"I can't believe she didn't tell us!" JJ ranted to Garcia, while the rest of the team was off with Strauss trying to solve a brutal case where a serial killer was cutting out the hearts out of his victims. The team was down three profilers, including Emily who had just disappeared without telling JJ.

"I know" Garcia calmly replied.

"I mean what the fuck Emily?! You leave us with three agents down and fucking Strauss! The nerve, she's being a complete bitch! She's moved beyond being bitch into being a c…"

Garcia cut her off before JJ could say it, "Did you call her?" Garcia meekly asked as she pondered why JJ would be so enraged.

"OF COURSE I FUCKING CALLED HER!" She yelled before realizing her volume level and hoped no other officers were able to hear her in the precinct parking lot.

"Okay Buttercup I was just checking."

"Sorry Pen, it's just making me mad."

"I can see that" Garcia replied with a giggle. "So what's going on with you and Emster?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nope" JJ lied. She didn't want to divulge all of her personal life to the biggest gossip in the BAU. Garcia probably had Morgan on a three-way call right then. "I just can't believe she would resign and not tell anyone. We're her friends right?"

"Maybe she's just trying to figure some stuff out. It's not like Emily Prentiss is in tune with her emotions."

"Yeah" JJ agreed and hoped that she wasn't enabling Emily's emotional deficiencies with their arrangement. "I think I'm mostly confused about Gideon and pissed about Strauss. Pen she is a fucking nightmare and doesn't know what the fuck she's doing in the field."

Garcia chuckled, "Can you imagine Strauss kicking down doors."

"Maybe she will and break a hip and then she'll leave us alone" JJ snickered.

"You m'lady are evil" Garcia giggled. "Well I gots to get back to work, unfortunately. Keep me posted on princess raven locks and Strauss' hip."

"Okay" JJ replied with a smile as she hung up the phone. Garcia always made her feel better, but this time it didn't work. It didn't work because she was coming to terms with the fact that she might have real feelings for Emily. She felt abandoned and betrayed by the brunette, but the rules of not getting too imitate, beyond the physically aspect, were hers. But they were still friends, and friends tell each other stuff. The case moved forward as JJ continued to stew, irate over the disappearance of Emily. That is until she saw Hotch and a familiar figure approaching the house she and the rest of her team were waiting outside of, _God she looks good in pink. How is her skin even possible? _Eventually, much to the dismay of Strauss, Emily decided to go into the unsub's house as a "concerned citizen." Before leaving to enter into the house Emily glanced over JJ, who just shook her head. It communicated everything that needed to be said without words, "Yes I'm pissed at you but be careful."

* * *

><p>"How do you feel?" JJ asked as she sat on the back of the ambulance with Emily.<p>

"Okay considering an unsub just whacked me with a 2x4."

"You scared me" JJ confessed with a hint of sternness in her voice.

"I'm sorry, but I had to do something."

"Yeah, well, that's not all I'm mad about."

Emily rolled her eye at JJ's asinine statement, "And what are you mad about?"

"How about that you quit and didn't tell me."

"JJ why do I owe you any explanation? You made it very clear every time we were together that we're not together. Make up your fucking mind."

"We're friends, and friends tell each other stuff" JJ insisted as she looked into Emily's dark brown eyes. "Why did you quit?"

"I had to."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Emily took a deep breath and exhaled, "Do we have to do this now?"

"Emily" JJ commanded in an austere tone.

"I was embarrassed. Strauss only brought me in to help her fire Hotch."

"Emily how could you?" JJ asked appalled by the brunette's betrayal.

"She asked, I didn't agree so I quit. I didn't know that was the only reason I was assigned here. I was proud to be here and to find out that I didn't earn it, it was embarrassing" Emily admitted as she tried to rub her face but ended up touching her newest bruise, wincing in pain.

"Be careful" JJ gently scolded as she looked into Emily's sad eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Wouldn't that be against your precious rules?" Emily questioned back with annoyance in her voice.

"Em you should have told me so I could have been there for you."

"Yeah, well, everything is fine now so don't worry about it."

"How are you feeling really?" JJ asked, her voice laden with concern.

"My head really hurts and I feel dizzy. I'm so tired but they recommended I don't sleep on the plane and then I have to set an alarm to wake me up every hour" she complained. "So I feel pretty fucking terrible."

"I'll wake you up" JJ offered with a smile.

"JJ, I can't" Emily's voice became very low. "I probably can't have sex tonight" she confessed.

"I know" JJ coaxed as she rubbed Emily's forearm, "This is what friends do for each other."

"I don't want to impose."

"You're not, I offered."

Emily relented and when the plane landed she made her into way to JJ's car and eventually ended up at JJ's Virginia home. "It's nice" she complemented as she made her way through the comfortable home.

"Thank you" JJ smiled. "My bedroom is at the end of the hall upstairs, go ahead and take a shower and I'll get you some clothes.

"I can stay in the guest room" Emily offered obviously uncomfortable. It was weird for her, being in JJ's house. In what capacity was she staying at JJ's house. As a friend? Lover? Girlfriend? Friend with benefits? Pity? She tried to shake the thoughts from her head and ended up feeling a sharp pain and had to brace herself against the wall until the dizzy spell passed.

JJ ran over and started to soothingly rub her back, hoping to help her in some small way. "You're staying in my room with me. The team's grown fond of you, they'd kill me if you died under my care" she quipped causing Emily to smile. It was a real smile, a smile that illuminated her entire face, namely her eyes.

"Okay" she agreed sheepishly as JJ helped to guide her up the stairs and into the bathroom.

"So are you going to be okay?"

Emily tried to roll her eyes but winced at the pain, "I'm fine JJ, I'm not an invalid."

JJ laughed at Emily's stubbornness and left the room to go back downstairs to make Emily a cup of tea. Whilst downstairs her phone rang, "Jareau."

"Hey" Will's voice greeted.

"Hi Will, this isn't really a good time."

"I was just wondering when I get you see that beautiful face of yours."

_God I hate it when he tries to be charming, everything he says is always so cliché. _"Sorry things have been so busy here I haven't had time to get out there."

"Well good thing I bought a plane ticket then."

"W-what? When?" JJ inquired as her voice cracked in horror.

"Next weekend, you said you'd be having a few days off and I wanted to spare you the trip."

"That's very thoughtful of you but…"

"But nothing doll face."

_Doll face? _"Will I can't ask you to do that."

"Well too bad because you detective is on his way and he wants to continue his investigation into what's under your clothes." JJ had to try to stop herself from gagging. He was a really nice guy but had a horrible sense of humor and wasn't the most clever man in the world. But in the whole scheme of things did that really matter? "JJ I'm sorry I was just trying to make a joke" he apologized sweetly.

"It's okay. I'll see you next weekend."

"Will do doll face."

"Have a good night Will" she said ending the call in a kind tone. She grabbed her phone and the cup of tea and headed upstairs to find Emily already asleep in bed. She smiled at the sight of the normally intense brunette looking so peaceful, curled up and sleeping on her side. She plugged her phone into the charger and set an alarm to go off every hour until the regular wake up alarm at 7am. Finally JJ climbed into bed with Emily, but found herself thinking about Will, who was going to be in that very bed in a mere 10 days. She knew in her heart that it wasn't fair to either of them, but at least she was honest with them about what they had with her. Her mind raced for the next hour before gently shaking Emily awake.

"I just fell asleep and my head hurts so bad" Emily complained.

"I know baby but you have to wake up every hour. Remember?"

"Can't you just let me die?" Emily requested, causing JJ to start laughing.

"You are so dramatic."

"I'm going towards the light now. Don't bother to wake me up in an hour. I'm dead" Emily replied as she drifted back to sleep.

"What a boob" JJ chuckled as she tried to get to sleep herself, until the next alarm rang of course.

**Some new characters are going to appear, one originally from season 6 and the other from season 4. However, the story is going to remain set in early to mid season 3. **

**Additionally, who will find out about the Emily/JJ/Will love triangle first? The answer will be in the chapter after next. **


	5. A Wedding in Chicago

The next morning Emily and JJ were awoken by a phone, just not JJ's phone. Emily's phone rang and she picked it up, stupidly answering it before checking the caller ID. "Prentiss."

"Emily, how many times do we need to address how you answer your phone" The stern voice of Elizabeth Prentiss not so much asked but ordered.

"Mother?" Emily asked as she shot up in bed with a look of horror on her face. However, the sudden movement made her feel both nauseated and dizzy.

"Emily I wish to have lunch with you before I leave for Belgium, you can bring Luke if you'd like."

"Luc?" Emily question in a sleepy trance as JJ started to stir beside her.

"Your boyfriend."

"Oh we broke up" Emily answered, garnering the attention of JJ who was suddenly very interested in the conversation.

"And why is that?"

"Well, he extended his time in Burma."

"So you broke up with him for building a hospital for the impoverished?" Elizabeth Prentiss asked with judgement evident in her voice.

"I didn't break up with him for building a hospital" Emily argued, suddenly offended that her mother was taking her fake ex-boyfriend's side in the matter. Meanwhile, JJ was using a pillow to stifle her laughter over Emily's ridiculous argument with her mother. "You don't even know what he's like. And he was giving up investing to move towards teaching yoga full-time and wanted me to support him."

"Well then it's good that you came to your senses about him. In fact, I have someone I want you to meet."

"Who is it now?" Emily sighed as JJ continued to giggle.

"Jackson Sterling, Senator Sterling's son."

"He sounds like a loser."

"He most certainly is not. He's a very well respected political consultant."

"Great, you know how I love politics" Emily replied sarcastically.

"Emily, sarcasm" Elizabeth scolded.

"Sorry mother. I can have lunch with you today" Emily agreed with a small groan.

"You act as if I am asking you for a kidney."

_I wish all you wanted from me was a kidney. _"Sorry mother, just have one of your lackeys text me the address and time. Bye." Emily groaned again, "So that was my mom" Emily said with a smirk to JJ.

"I would have never guessed" JJ laughed as she got out of the bed and went to make coffee. "You want your coffee the same way you take it at work?" JJ inquired from the hallway.

"Yeah…with ricin if you have it" Emily replied, once again causing JJ to laugh.

"I'll see what I can do" she yelled as she walked down the stairs.

* * *

><p>A few days after Emily had lunch with her mom the team was called away on an another horrific case. This time in Colorado, where entire families were being killed a by team of two foster brothers who were abused as children. The case had been especially tough on Emily, who had grown attached the only survivor left by the unsubs. She and JJ had spoken about the possibility of Emily becoming a mother sometime in the future, but Emily didn't want to talk about something so personal indiscriminately.<p>

"Hey, what are you doing tonight?" Emily asked in a voice that was barely above a whisper to JJ, who was rushing towards her car in the Quantico parking lot.

"I have to go."

"Oh" Emily looked hurt at the hurried response, prompting JJ to slow down.

"You okay?" JJ asked genuinely concerned. Emily had seemed especially affected and connected to Carrie Ortiz.

"I guess" Emily shrugged as she started walking towards her own car.

"You're going to be fine" JJ reassured her with a smile as she squeezed her shoulder.

"Where are you headed off to?"

"Wedding, my friend's wedding in Chicago. I'll be back in a few days" JJ answered before getting into her car and driving away. She hated that she had lied to Emily so she could meet Will, at her house nonetheless. She hated how she rushed off like that after seeing the distress in Emily's eyes, but it wasn't like Emily even asked her for help. Emily never did, always careful to make sure that JJ knew she didn't need her. Emily never really talked about anything emotional with her, and how could one build a relationship on that? At least Will would open up to her about whatever he was feeling, whatever was bothering him. And she couldn't just blow him off for Emily after he had made all that effort to go see her.

Disappointed Emily texted Morgan and asked if he want to grab a drink in D.C. with her. He agreed and she sent him the address of a bar near her house, meeting him there around twenty minutes later.

"So what's up princess?"

"I just didn't feel like going home right away. Fucked up case" Emily commented as she took a drink of her vodka cranberry.

"You can say that again, what was it for you?"

"What do you mean?"

"What part got to you the most?"

"Carrie seeing her parents and brother like that, having to help us with the unsub out of a sense of guilt and responsibility over what happened. She'll always question it, you know? Always wonder if she got them killed" Emily remarked as she supported her head on her right hand, resting her elbow on the bar counter.

Morgan just shook his head, not knowing what words to say. Were there any words that could be said in an instance like this? The two partners just sat together in a comfortable silence, nursing their drinks until they were ready to head out to their respective homes. "Thanks for this Morgan" Emily smiled as she waited for a cab for Morgan, opting to walk home herself.

"Don't even twice about it Emily. You're my partner now" he smiled. "You sure you don't want to get dropped off at home first?"

"No, I think a walk will do me some good."

"Okay then, be careful" Morgan instructed as he entered into the waiting cab after giving her a hug.

Emily nodded in response and walked down the quiet street to her apartment, wondering what she was going to do on her next few days off. She was considering going to see a Russian movie with Reid, but he decided that he should use the rare time off to visit his mother. She figured that doing nothing might actually turn out to be good for her.

**We're moving towards the season 3 episode Penelope and then the story is going to shift away from cannon cases and introduce an original one. **

**There is a definite plan for this work. I just want to make sure to set it up right so it ****doesn't come across as haphazard. **

**Emily finds out about JJ/Will in the next chapter, which means this is your last chance to voice any predictions on how she might find out. I personally hope I can surprise you. **


	6. Another Knock at the Door

**Here's the chapter we've been waiting for, Emily finds out the truth. **

**How does she take the news? **

**Also the person making an early appearance from season 6 is NOT Ian Doyle. As a hint think less in terms of criminals, but keep the predictions coming. **

Emily had spent her few days off enjoying the pure relaxation of doing absolutely nothing. She had met Garcia for a drink on Sunday night and thought about calling JJ, but chose to wait until Monday to see the blonde, not wanting to interrupt her friend's wedding. Monday morning Emily approached her desk and observed the laughter being had by her friends. Reid was sitting at his desk, gesturing wildly and looked embarrassed while Morgan and Garcia were laughing with each other. Morgan was sitting at his own desk and Garcia was sitting at Emily's.

"What's up?" Emily asked as she leaned against her desk, flashing a smile to Garcia.

"Pretty boy here had a bit of a shock at the airport last night" Morgan grinned.

"I was not shocked, I was merely surprised" Reid countered.

"What happened Reid?" Emily asked curiously as she took a sip of coffee.

"Wait what were you doing at the airport again?" Garcia interrupted before Reid could fill Emily in on what happened.

"I was coming back from seeing my mom in Las Vegas."

"Now that is a sight I want to see, Spencer Reid in Las Vegas" Emily chuckled as she briefly put her coffee down and fixed a loose strand of her dark hair.

"Can you imagine Reid at a Vegas show?" Morgan laughed as he teased the young genius.

"Yeah, maybe Celine Dion" Emily cracked as Reid turned red. "Okay but really Reid what did you see at the airport that shocked you more than Vegas?" Emily inquired as she took another drink of coffee.

"I saw JJ and that detective from New Orleans making out" he answered bluntly as Emily choked on her coffee.

"Gumdrop are you okay?" Garcia asked concerned as she tried to pat and rub Emily's back to help her stop coughing.

"Are, are you sure?" Emily asked, still trying to regain her normal speaking voice.

"Well I didn't know it was him, but I saw her kissing some short guy with short dark hair near the airline terminals while I was waiting for my cab. But Morgan and Garcia said she has been dating him since the case in New Orleans and that's why I was surprised she wouldn't tell us" Reid explained as Emily paled even more than normal.

"Also maybe pretty boy still has a crush on double J" Morgan teased as he threw a paper ball at Reid.

"Umm, wow" was all Emily could muster to say as she desperately tried to put up her emotional walls.

"Come on we all know you knew" Morgan remarked as he nudged her with his elbow.

"No" Emily said quietly as she shook her head.

Morgan and Garcia shared a look with each other as Garcia spoke up, "But wasn't that what you and her were arguing about a few weeks ago? Her not telling you?"

"No" Emily replied trying to regain her composure. "My mom wanted to set me up on a date and I told her about it and she said something about me needing a personal life and it just rubbed me the wrong way."

"Oh" Garcia smiled as she looked over to Morgan again. "Well I need to go back to my lair, walk me my knight in shining Kevlar."

"Why?" Morgan whined.

"Just do it" she commanded as she poked him hard on the shoulder.

"Fine" he grumbled as he followed her into her office. "What was that about?"

"Okay we were teasing Reid about looking shocked but Emily almost died from shock after finding out about JJ and Will."

Morgan cocked his head to the side, "She didn't almost die."

"She choked!" Garcia exclaimed excitedly as she threw her hands up in the air. "Do you think?….No…could it?…Would they?"

Morgan interrupted her rambling with a frustrated tone, "What?!"

"Do you think they were involved and Emily didn't know about Will?"

Morgan scoffed, "No."

"And why not?"

"Because I know Emily likes men" Morgan replied adamantly.

"Maybe she does normally, but she went for JJ because she's JJ. And we both know that Emily is totally JJ's type."

"It would explain a lot" Morgan added. "But would JJ do that?"

"I don't think she would cheat but maybe she wouldn't commit to either of them and did the horizontal mambo with both of them" Garcia winked.

"And Emily didn't know. That is fucked up."

"I know, but we could be wrong" Garcia said hopefully with a shrug.

"What do we do?"

"We cannot take sides Derek" Garcia ordered as she looked him straight in the eye, "both of them are our friends."

"I know that but, shit, to do that to Prentiss is cold."

"We don't know the whole story yet, maybe Emily knew."

Morgan titled his head again as he looked at the quirky analyst, "Did it look like she knew?"

Garcia scrunched her face as she thought, "No."

"My point exactly baby girl. Why did JJ have to ruin a beautiful thing like two hot female FBI agents hooking up by adding in that Bayou Bastard?"

Garcia laughed at Morgan's question, "She's a dumbass" she remarked as Morgan chuckled and headed back to work. "After work we'll check on Emily and see what happened. If that doesn't work maybe we can get it out of JJ."

Morgan nodded and left the office to head back to the bullpen. When he got back to his desk he looked over to Emily who looked so lost and his heart broke for her. _How could JJ do this to her?_

For her part Emily was desperately trying to focus on her paperwork, trying being the operative word. All she kept thinking about was JJ… and Will. _Had JJ let him touch her? How long had she waited after being with Will before she let Emily touch her in the same intimate places? _Emily shuddered at the thoughts and was infuriated that JJ made her a part of some sick unwanted three-way. She decided that after work she was going to go to JJ's and confront her about everything, she needed to know the truth. She deserved to know the truth, but she wondered if she really wanted to know it. Emily had never felt more used in her entire life. _Was I just a good fuck for JJ?_

* * *

><p>The rain poured outside of the safety of her car doors. Emily looked to the clock, with the digital letters reading 8:05. She had been waiting in the car for almost an hour and half already, four times her cell phone had rung and she didn't even care enough to check who it was. She debated internally with herself about what she should do, what she really wanted. Finally she gathered the courage to exit the car into the pouring Virginia rain and walked to JJ's doorstep. Emily pounded on JJ's front door, which JJ opened up almost immediately.<p>

"Emily you're soaked."

"How was the wedding?" Emily asked venomously.

A look of confusion appeared on JJ's face, "Fine. Emily come inside."

"No" Emily replied maliciously as she wrapped her arms around her body, trying to comfort herself.

"Emily…"

"Did you fuck him?"

"What?"

"Did you fuck him?" Emily asked louder.

"Who?"

"Don't fucking play stupid with me Jareau! Will, did you fuck Will LaMontagne!"

"Emily" JJ said gently as she tried to soothe the brunette.

"Tell me!"

"We weren't exclusive" JJ defended.

"All those times with your mom, have you even seen her since we started seeing each other?"

"Emily…"

"Answer my fucking question!"

"No."

Emily laughed, "And your friends?"

"Emily please…"

"And the wedding?!"

"You have to understand…"

"I-I have to understand! I needed you and you were off fucking him!"

"Emily relax."

"Do not tell me to relax! Did you at least make him wear a condom…you know what I don't even want to know. How long?"

"How long what?"

"Stop playing stupid!" Emily ordered as the tears camouflaged by the rain started to fall, "Tell me the fucking truth for once in your goddamn life. How long have you been seeing Will?!"

"Since the case" JJ admitted.

"What case?"

"New Orleans."

"You made me the other woman, some cheap whore that was a good fuck for you when your boyfriend wasn't around!" Emily exclaimed with the betrayal evident in her voice.

"Emily it wasn't like that, he's not my boyfriend."

Emily scoffed at the defense, "I forgot you don't do labels. Does he know?"

"He knows were not exclusive, like you did. And none of this bothered you until now."

"NONE OF IT BOTHERED ME?!" Emily was beyond pissed and didn't care that she was airing out all of their dirty laundry on JJ's normally quiet suburban street. She flailed her arms agitatedly in exasperation, "Good thing you're not a profiler or there'd be a shitload of people dead because of you. All this time I have been waiting for you to get your shit together!"

"My shit?"

"Yeah."

"Emily you're the one who is incapable of being in a relationship."

"Fuck you Jennifer!"

"You are so fucking guarded I don't even know anything about you" JJ defended as her own voice started to get louder.

"And that gives you the right to cheat on me?"

"We aren't together!"

Emily looked down at the ground and back up to JJ, speaking up in an almost inaudible voice, "I want you to choose."

"What?"

"Him or me."

"Emily…"

"Him or me JJ" Emily sternly ordered.

"Emily I…"

"Just tell me" Emily pleaded, already knowing the answer. "Please just say it."

JJ looked at Emily with tears in her eyes, "I choose Will."

"Why?" Emily spoke in a voice tinged with hurt that was barely even discernible over the rainfall.

JJ took a deep breath, "Because he's just simpler. It's alway been simple with him. With you it is just never going to be easy."

"All this time I thought you didn't like dating, and all along you just didn't want to date me. Why did you even do this to me? Why couldn't you just leave me alone?" Emily asked as she choked back the tears.

"Emily" JJ said softly as she tried to reach out to hold Emily's hand.

"Don't touch me! Don't ever touch me again" Emily sternly ordered as she moved farther away from JJ. "You used me for sex."

"It's not like that, I really like you Emily."

"I loved you" Emily confessed leaving JJ standing in the rain as she walked back to her car and drove away.

It always ends with a knock at the door.

**There's a reference to my favorite Homeland quote in this chapter. **

**How will Garcia and Morgan take the news? Will the rest of the team find out? Are you surprised that Emily actually found out from Reid? **

**How do you feel about JJ choosing Will over Emily? **


	7. One Life Without Emily

Emily walked through the hallway in her building to her apartment door where she found Morgan and Garcia waiting for her.

"Fuck" she mumbled as she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"Gumdrop what happened? Is this about JJ?" Garcia questioned sympathetically.

"How did you…"

"We figured it out after this morning, can we come in?" Morgan asked gently with a smile.

Emily reluctantly agreed as the two followed her into her apartment. "So what happened?" Morgan asked a bit more firmly than Garcia did earlier.

"I don't want to talk about it" she admitted as she plopped down on her sofa and sighed, running her hands through her wet hair. Garcia went off in search of a towel for Emily.

"When did this start?"

Emily exhaled loudly in frustration, "You both are JJ's friends so I don't think it's a good idea for me to complain about her to you."

"Hey" Garcia spoke up as she took Emily's hands, "You're our friend too and we're really worried about you. You can talk to us."

"Plus we're on your side anyway."

"Derek!"

"What? It's not like Prentiss was sleeping around on JJ."

"This is so embarrassing" Emily whined as she buried her hand in her hands.

"To get us to stop talking you're going to have to start, Emster what happened? How did this thing with JJ start?"

"I don't know, she just came over to my house and practically begged me to have sex with her. I was half asleep."

"And?" Morgan coerced.

"And we had sex."

"Was it good" Morgan asked as he leaned forward to better hear the answer.

"I bet JJ was good" Garcia winked as she nudged Emily with her elbow.

Emily huffed at their line of questioning, "Is this really the point? Fine, yes it was good and then the next morning she freaked out and was going over all these rules and I guess she wanted me to know that she was just using me for sex. But for some reason I didn't see it, or I did and didn't care. I don't know…" Emily trailed off as she wondered how she could have been so stupid.

"Gumdrop, did she ever say she was seeing someone else?"

"No. I mean she did say she was spending time with friends and seeing her mom a lot but I believed her. I'm a profiler for fuck's sake."

"Prentiss we can't always see everything, especially if we're close to someone. What happened when you went over to see her tonight?"

"I-I asked her to choose." Emily said quietly, ashamed of the rejection, "Him or me."

Morgan and Garcia looked at each other and both knew who JJ had picked. They both were sick over what had happened to Emily, both upset with JJ, both hating Will who was actually innocent in the entire situation. Both were in disbelief that something like this could happen, both concerned about the effect it would have on the team. Garcia worried about Emily's emotional state, if Emily was guarded before would she ever let anyone in now? What damage had JJ done to her? She was sure that JJ never intended to hurt Emily, but her motivation was irrelevant. Regardless of her intentions she had destroyed the woman in front of her.

Emily finally spoke up again after about ten minutes of complete silence, except for the ticking coming from the clock on the mantle. "I really appreciate you coming here, but do you mind going home now?"

"Sure honey" Garcia comforted as she reached over to rub Emily's arm, while Morgan offered her a small smile.

"If you need or want anything" Morgan offered as Emily nodded. The two friends left Emily alone with her thoughts in her quiet apartment, the apartment forever tainted by JJ. All Emily wanted to do was forget about the blonde liaison. As a result, about an hour after Morgan and Garcia left Emily picked up her cellphone and scrolled through the contracts until she found the one she was looking for and pressed send. They were the only person that wasn't in the BAU that had always been there for her.

"Hey, it's me. How are you? That's good, I'm happy for you. No not boy trouble this time, girl trouble. I know, any chance you'd want to meet for coffee? Are you sure because I mean now? Okay I'll see you then, I missed you" Emily smiled as she concluded the phone call and gathered her things to leave again. _Maybe I should reconsider getting a cat_, she mused before leaving the empty apartment, seeking solace from the pain JJ had inflicted on her.

* * *

><p>"JJ open up" Garcia ordered as she knocked on JJ's door.<p>

"Hey Pen" JJ smiled sadly.

"What the fuck did you do?!" Garcia asked in an accusatory tone.

JJ lifted her hands up in surrender, "What did I do?"

"I know what you did" Garcia replied back with her hands on her hips. "Let me in" she commanded as she barged into the house.

"She told you!"

"We practically had to pull her teeth to get it out of her" Garcia defended.

"We?"

"Me and my chocolate adonis."

"You told Morgan!"

"Stop yelling JJ and no I didn't tell him anything, we figured it out today after Reid saw you making out with jambalaya at Dulles."

"WHAT?" JJ shrieked in utter horror. "Slow down, what happened?"

"Oh my god JJ, don't take this the wrong way but I really punch you in the face right now. And I say this out of love."

JJ scratched her temple in confusion, "How is there a right way to take that and also how is punching me in the face out of love?"

"Because how could you choose shrimp gumbo over Prentiss, I just don't get it."

"It's complicated, but I want to know how you and Morgan found out."

Garcia walked further into the house and took a seat on a dining room chair, "Okay so Reid saw you at the airport making out with the Bayou bastard…"

JJ interrupted Garcia's train of thought, "Can you not call him that?"

"He ruined our BAU super couple, I'll call him what I want" Garcia challenged as she crossed her arms in defiance.

"Real mature Pen."

"You aren't in the position to judge about maturity blondie."

"Why not? What did I do?"

"You used your co-worker and friend for sex and then tossed her aside when she wanted something more" Garcia lifted up her hand to stop any arguments so she could continue on. "So Reid saw you kissing at the airport and he told us sounding kind of shocked and Morgan and I were teasing him before Emily walked up and then he explained what he saw and you could see it in her face. I have never seen her so upset and Morgan and I just knew. So we waited outside of her apartment until she came home, crying mind you, and then we tried to get her to talk but she was really embarrassed to admit what happened. And then she asked us to leave."

"Morgan's mad?"

"Of course he's mad, you did a really shitty thing. I mean she obviously cared about you and then you chose some dope, who doesn't even live in the same state, over her. I mean come on JJ what did you expect?"

JJ looked guiltily down at the floor, "She told me she loved me."

"WHAT?" Garcia shouted as she slammed the table with her hands in shock. "God JJ this is bad, I mean I think you broke her."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think that after this she is ever going to open up to anyone ever again? You know what...I can't believe you would do this! What were you thinking?!"

"I don't know. I don't know I was horny and have been into Emily for a while and a case was bothering me and I went over there. And, fuck, Pen she looked so beautiful and it just happened and I knew about Will and wanted to fix it but didn't want to stop sleeping with her" JJ rambled.

"What you did was really selfish JJ."

"I know" JJ nodded sadly in agreement. "What do I do?"

"Do you want to be with Emily?"

"Penelope it's more complicated than that and you know it."

"So what?"

JJ pinched the bridge of her nose as she sighed, "With Will things will always be simpler, more manageable."

"But is that the only reason you want him?"

"Our jobs make our lives complicated enough, and that's without having difficult relationships."

"Answer my question."

"He's a good guy."

"JJ there are plenty of good guys out there and you don't love them all. Who do you love?"

"Garcia can you just stop?" JJ ordered, starting to get frustrated by her friend's interference. "I chose Will and I'm sorry that's not who you would've picked but it's who I picked and it's my choice. I chose Will not Emily, and I did for a reason."

Garcia glanced over to JJ before getting up to leave her home, "I'm only saying this because I love you buttercup. I really do and I want you to be happy. And I am telling you that if you don't go after Emily tonight, you will lose her. Are you sure you're okay with that?"

"Pen, we both know that I already lost her. I lost her the second she knocked on my door, fuck I lost her the second I started lying to her. Maybe in another world…"

"JJ that's cop-out and you know it. We have one life in one world and you better make sure that you can live that one life without Emily because you will lose her" Garcia lectured as she walked out of the front door and over to her car.

**Who was Emily on the phone with? They're a character that was referenced to in season 4. **

**Any predictions? **


	8. Let Her Hate You

The next day Emily showed up to work a little bit more worse for wear than usual. She noticed a cup of coffee waiting for her on her desk and looked to Morgan who shrugged. Knowing who it must have been from she immediately got up and threw the coffee away in the sink, much to the dismay of Reid who would have gladly drank it for her.

"Why would she do a thing like that?" He complained to Morgan.

"Shut it pretty boy, today Prentiss does whatever Prentiss wants. Got it?"

"Yeah" he mumbled as he went back to work.

Emily returned to her desk to begin working on paperwork as JJ watched her from her office. _I really am turning into a stalker. Do I care this much when Will is upset? You picked Will, remember you picked Will. _She picked up her work phone and dialed Garcia's direct line.

"You have reached your friendly neighborhood Oracle how may I save you ass today?"

"You would think after the Strauss 'talk dirty to me' incident that you would be more careful with how you answer the phone."

"What do you need JJ?"

"Emily hates me."

"Yeah and?" Garcia smirked as she heard JJ huff on the other end of the phone.

"I brought her coffee and she threw it away."

"Really? You brought her coffee and it didn't make her get over you breaking her heart. She must need psychiatric help."

"I mean it Pen, what do I do?"

"You let her hate you because that is what she needs right now. JJ you chose someone else over her, you need to let her be upset with you. You are not the victim here. Emily didn't have a choice in this entire situation. All she could do was hope that you would pick her and guess what, you didn't."

"I know but…"

"No buts Jayje, you broke her heart. You need to leave her alone. Actually I suggest you stay away from that whole general area because my chocolate God is not your biggest fan right now."

"Everyone hates me" JJ groaned as she burrowed her head in her arms that were crossed over her desk.

"Honey nobody hates you" Garcia coaxed over the phone, "just give them time to get over everything."

"Be honest, do you think I'm a slut?"

"I certainly don't think you're a prude" Garcia answered with a giggle.

"I'm serious Pen!"

"No one thinks you're a slut" Garcia said trying to placate the upset blonde.

"Emily does" JJ replied back adamantly.

"Well Emily thinks you're a lot of things at the moment. JJ you should just try to relax and get to work before Hotch, or God forbid Strauss, notices you aren't your normal workaholic self."

"Yeah, okay, thanks Pen. You're in especially good mood today."

"I met a guy!" she squealed in excitement.

"I'm happy for you Pen" JJ said warmly. "You're right though, I should get back to work, bye" JJ sighed loudly as she hung up the phone. She wondered if she was ever that excited about Will, or if she only ever felt that sort of elation when she talked or thought about Emily. In the end, she was she glad she hung up when she did, as Hotch walked into her office and informed her that he had just received a case that went to straight to him and the team was to be headed to Florida in 30 minutes.

* * *

><p>The plane ride down to Florida was exceptionally uncomfortable, first JJ didn't know where to sit. She normally sat next to Emily during flights but Emily was sitting next to Morgan, who took every opportunity to glare at her. Reid looked confused, Hotch looked busy, and Rossi was eerily observing all of them. He noticed her watching him observe her and gave her a knowing smile, which made her shiver with nerves. <em>Fuck, does he know? You're just being paranoid, he doesn't know anything. Did Emily tell him?! No, Emily doesn't gossip and Pen admitted that Emily was really embarrassed over this entire debacle. Since when did my love life become a debacle? Probably when you thought it was a good idea to use your best friend for sex, but it wasn't all about sex. Do I love Emily too? Does it even matter anymore? Maybe if I smile at her…<em> JJ smiled at Emily who just scoffed at the gesture and went back to reading her magazine. _Yep, she hates me._

Emily couldn't bear to look at JJ, the words from the night before repeating on an infinite loop, taunting her. "I choose Will." How could one sentence, three words, eleven letters, hurt so much? How could they cut so deep? Everything she had done to try to forget and, yet, the words still rang in her ears. They raced through her subconscious, they permeated her dreams. She hated JJ and somehow she still loved her. She had let herself love her, how could she have done that? She exposed herself, she allowed herself to be vulnerable. She felt that she almost deserved the pain, the punishment fit the crime. She had opened herself up to someone and in turn they had hurt her. You reap what you sow was an old biblical phrase that joined "I choose Will" in mocking her.

**The next chapter takes place in the season 3 episode Penelope and then we're going to move away from the show's cases and on to original ones. **

**The next chapter also features Hotch finding out about Emily and JJ's former agreement. **


	9. I Want My Pink Shirt Back!

Despite the horrid humid weather conditions and exhaustion Rossi noticed that the team's relations were abnormally frigid. Reid looked uncomfortable, Morgan and Emily were avoiding JJ, Garcia was avoiding Morgan, and Hotch was somehow oblivious to it all.

"Aaron, you better figure out what's going on with your team before Strauss does" Rossi ordered as he stood next to Hotch in the hotel lobby while their rooms were being confirmed.

"What do you mean?"

"All day Morgan wouldn't look at JJ unless he was glaring at her, Prentiss avoided her like the plague, and Garcia refused to banter on with Morgan in their normal inappropriate way. Now tell me Aaron, does that seem normal for this team to you?"

Hotch crossed his arms and looked utterly perplexed, "What do you think is going on?"

"I have a hunch about Prentiss, Morgan, and JJ, but I have no idea what's going on with Morgan and Garcia."

"Well they need to work it out on their own Dave" Hotch firmly stated. Hotch received the room keys from the front desk and walked over to where his team was gathered, noting the allegiances that seemed to be made. "We're going to have to double up." The team groaned at the request but Hotch ignored them, "One room only has one bed and I was hoping that JJ and Prentiss wouldn't mind sharing."

"Fuck" Emily grumbled, a little louder than she meant.

"Prentiss?" Hotch inquired as he looked to Rossi who shrugged in an '_I told you so' _kind of manner. "Reid go to the room" Hotch ordered as he handed him the key, "Prentiss, JJ, Morgan stay with me and Dave." Hotch waited for Reid to walk off before he continued, "What's going on?"

"Oh I know fraternization when I see it" Rossi smirked as he looked over to JJ, "The look of guilt on JJ's face shows she's involved but with who? Prentiss or Morgan? Who is it bella?"

"JJ is this true? Are you involved with someone on the team? I thought you were with Will?"

"Did everyone know but me!" Emily yelled, proving exactly who had been fraternizing with who on the team.

Rossi grinned at the realization, "Well this is better than I thought."

"Dave, maybe you should go upstairs" Hotch almost pleaded as he began to try to sort out the mess in front of him. "Morgan how are you involved?"

"I know what JJ did" he said cryptically as he gave the blonde a dirty look.

"Why are you not talking to Garcia?"

"Because he's an idiot" Emily answered for him.

"Hey! I was on your side!"

"I didn't ask you to be and what you said to PG was fucked up."

"What did he say?" JJ inquired, worried about her friend.

"Oh my god JJ, do not tell me you are asking me to gossip with you now? What are you fucking retarded?"

"Fuck you Emily!"

"Oh trust me Jareau you fucked me over plenty! However do you find the time to fuck so many people? I'm curious."

"It was only you and Will!"

"Only both of us, I should be so honored" Emily replied sarcastically as she pointed harshly at JJ, "And I want my pink shirt back! I want my pink shirt back!"

"Enough" Hotch cut in. He had enough of all the bickering. "It's not my job to police you in your private lives, but it becomes my job when you bring your personal issues in to work. We work as a team and I expect you all to work together regardless of who fucked over who. You should be grateful that Dave and I picked up on this before Strauss did. Do you even realize that she could dismantle the team for something like this?" Hotch asked as he glared at each of his agents. "Morgan you need to stay out of this conflict and resolve whatever issue you have with Garcia. Tonight JJ you're with me, Rossi and Morgan will take the single bed room with Morgan sleeping on the floor, and Prentiss you'll sleep in Reid's room" he ordered as he nodded for them to leave.

"This fucking sucks" mumbled Morgan, who quickly quieted when Hotch shot him another glare.

As the team dispersed JJ and Hotch walked to their shared room and Hotch cut into the awkward silence after JJ sat down gingerly on her bed. "What were you thinking JJ?"

"Why does everyone think this is only my fault?" JJ asked with the hurt evident in her voice.

Hotch gently answered her, "Because you knew you had a boyfriend and you became sexually involved with a co-worker. It would still be difficult to sort out if you were actually dating Emily, but this? Sleeping together when you had no intention of being with her, I just don't see how you could think it was a good idea."

"I wasn't thinking."

"For future, if you and Emily decide to embark on a relationship you need to let me know."

JJ scoffed at the implication that she and Emily still stood a chance, "You won't have to worry about that."

"I see. JJ I'm only going to say this once and I truly hope that you listen. With this job having personal connections is difficult to say the least and even the best of relationships can be strained by one person not understanding what this job really entails. I know this better than anyone and I also know that finding someone who acutely understands what we do is rare. You need to keep that in mind." Hotch gathered a few things from his go bag and turned back to JJ, "Please refrain from making personal calls tonight unless you intend to help in resolving the issue between Morgan and Garcia" Hotch requested as he went to the bathroom to shower. JJ threw herself on the bed and thought about Emily, wondering if the brunette would ever forgive her. She wished she could be sharing a room with Emily instead of Hotch.

* * *

><p>After the case was finally solved and the team returned home JJ received the worst news from Hotch she had ever gotten. Penelope had been shot, she was being rushed into surgery. JJ waited anxiously in the hospital waiting room and was surprised when Emily sat next to her. Somehow, even in the worst of times, she felt elated when Emily took her hand and held it, squeezing it in a comforting manner. JJ couldn't help but smile at the kind gesture, but was confused by what it meant. Nevertheless, in that moment she pushed those thoughts aside because she just didn't care about what any of it meant. Because in that one second, on that one day, she had Emily again. And how could you question something like that?<p>

Finding Garcia's stalker had seemed to bring JJ and Emily closer together, they were familiar around each other again. They stayed in the same room for more than 30 seconds without being forced together. Emily appeared to linger around JJ after she had to take the shot to kill Battle, seemingly worried about the media liaison's emotional state. After JJ commented that Kevin Lynch seemed to have his eye on Garcia, Penelope smiled and looked JJ straight in her brilliant blue eyes. "Do you think everything happens for a reason?" She profoundly asked as she glanced over to Emily, before leaving the blonde in favor of speaking to Kevin.

JJ took the hint and ran after Emily, who had made it to the parking lot by that point. "Emily" JJ called out, relieved to see Emily stop walking. "Emily" she said with a smile as she approached the profiler.

"I'm sorry you had to shoot him, I know that must have been hard on you."

"Em."

Emily shuddered at the term of endearment, "Please don't call me that."

"Thank you for being there for me, earlier."

"It's nothing" Emily coldly replied with a shrug.

"It wasn't to me."

"JJ can we please not…"

JJ cut in, "It showed me that maybe we can go back to the way things were."

"I don't know how to go back, and maybe I don't ever want to."

"But we can still be friends?"

Emily began to pick at her fingernails nervously, "JJ, I don't want to be your friend anymore. You used me, you were selfish and all along you didn't care about what I needed or wanted, it was all about you. It always has been. I was here for you tonight because you were sad and for some reason I still care when you're upset. For some reason I still love you even though I hate you. I fucking hate you, I hate what you did to me. And one day any feeling of love is going to fade away and then we're not going to have anything left" Emily ranted before walking away, leaving JJ alone in the parking lot.

JJ knew that fixing things with Emily was not going to be simple, nothing with Emily ever was. But she thought that they had drawn closer together after what had happened to Garcia. JJ watched longingly as Emily's car left the parking lot and was shaken from her thoughts by a ringing phone. She took out her cellphone and sighed when she saw the name on the caller ID, _Will._

"Jareau" she answered coldly as the man on the other side of the line greeted her with a warm tone. _What have I done? _She despondently questioned herself as Will began to babble on about his day.

**The next chapter will feature our season 6 guest and soon we will find out who Emily was on the phone with back in chapter 7. I promise I did not forget about that little breadcrumb. Last chance for any predictions on who those characters may be.**

**Things between JJ and Emily may be bad now, but I'm currently writing a future chapter that features a resemblance of reconciliation. Fear not Jemily fans, good things happen to those who wait.**

** Additionally, the "I want my pink shirt back" line was a reference to Mean Girls, if anyone picked up on that. **


	10. The New Agent

**Great job to everyone who correctly predicted who our guest from season 6 would be. Hopefully there's still a few curveballs left for you in this story.**

**Be sure not to lose hope in our favorite BAU couple, there's some sweet moments on the way for them. **

For one of the few times in his life Spencer Reid was confused. In the kitchen area of the BAU Emily and Rossi were talking with a young attractive blonde woman. A woman who looked quite a bit like JJ, but it wasn't JJ. Reid was positive it wasn't JJ because JJ was just leaving her office and was walking to talk to him at his desk, stopping midway when she saw the younger blonde woman laughing at something Emily had said. JJ scowled as she stomped up to a perplexed Reid, who was confused about who this new person was and why JJ seemed extremely angry to see her.

"Who is that?" JJ snapped as she pointed towards the blonde woman who was hunched over laughing, holding on to Emily's arm.

"I don't know" Reid shrugged. "She likes Emily though."

"I bet she does. I mean, is all that laughing appropriate for the BAU, where we investigate serial killers? I mean maybe you're new here but get a clue. It's like who does she think she is? She's distracting Emily from her work! She's basically aiding a…" JJ's rambling was cut off by Garcia approaching her and Reid.

"So have you met Ashley Seaver?" Garcia asked with sly smile.

"Who is Ashley Seaver?" JJ inquired with a certain venom in her voice.

"FBI cadet, she's going to be joining us for a few months at least, Rossi is mentoring her. Maybe Emily will too" Garcia said with an exaggerated wink that made JJ squirm.

"Gross" she huffed. JJ got even more irritable when she saw Ashley pin a loose strand of Emily's hair behind her hair, "Did you see that?!"

"What?" Garcia giggled.

"She's basically molesting Emily is front of me!"

Garcia rolled her eyes at JJ's dramatics as Morgan walked up to the group, "Damn Seaver is all over Prentiss."

"Yeah it's gross" JJ interjected as she crossed her arms in anger.

"I don't know it looks pretty hot to me."

"Ashley and Emily are what both men and women would consider conventionally attractive" Reid added.

"Isn't Emily a little too old for her" JJ inquired in a snarky voice.

"Jealous much" Morgan teased.

"What would I have to be jealous about? I have Will remember."

"Oh we remember" Morgan shot back with a glare. Just the name set him off the edge. Morgan gestured over towards Emily and Ashley who were making coffee together. "So why do you care then JJ? You have Will and look at them. Seaver is hot and we both know that Prentiss is hot. What's wrong with a BAU love affair between Emily and Ashley, E and A?"

"More like T and A" JJ faked gaged before Garcia started to drag her into her office.

* * *

><p>"What was that?" Garcia questioned without an ounce of amusement on her face.<p>

"What?"

"JJ."

"Emily's not even that funny!"

"If I remember correctly you thought Emily was the funniest and most cleaver person on the planet just three months ago. Come on JJ, did you honestly believe that Emily would take a vow of celibacy after you chose Will over her? That just because you don't want her no one else would? Emster is a hot commodity, she's a smart, rich, gorgeous, blue-blooded Yale grad, with a kick-ass job, and who can speak like 7 languages. You had to know this day would come."

"But it's so soon and she's basically my twin. She's clearance rack me!"

"JJ first of all, have you had sex with Will since you and Emily ended things?" JJ merely nodded in reply. "Then you have no right to say about how soon. And second, you don't know Ashley and you don't have a right to talk bad about her just because you're jealous. I've met her and I like her. She's cute."

"I'm cute!" JJ argued.

"JJ you need to stop, you didn't want Emily and now someone else does and you need to get over it. You don't have a right to be upset over this. Things between the team are finally starting to blow over and you can't mess everything up again by fucking with Emily's life again. If they do start dating be happy for them and if you can't, stay away from Emily" Garcia firmly ordered as she left the office. She needed to give JJ some tough love. She only hoped that JJ would accept it.

* * *

><p>A week after Ashley arrived JJ was still trying to cope with the young blonde profiler-in-training. It was blatantly obvious that Seaver had a crush on Emily, but Emily looked more stressed and lethargic than anything. JJ wasn't the only one to pick up on Emily's exhaustion, Morgan did too. And once again he was worried about his new partner. After arriving back from a case in Philadelphia Morgan decided to confront the brunette.<p>

"What's going on with you Prentiss."

"Nothing."

"Come on, don't lie to me."

"Please just don't" Prentiss requested as she lifted up her hand to stop Morgan from coming any closer.

"Emily if you don't tell me I'm going to ask baby girl to get it out of you."

"I fucked up" she choked out thinking back to the mistake she had made. It was the same mistake she had made 20 years ago with John Cooley. But this time the mistake she made was with her other good friend, Matthew Benton.

"What's wrong?" Morgan asked concerned as he pulled her into a hug. "Talk to me baby."

"I think I'm pregnant" she uttered softly against his neck.

**Now you know who Emily was on the phone with the night JJ chose Will over her, and that the mystery character from season 6 is none other than Ashley Seaver. I liked Ashley on the show and I ****think it's good for JJ to get a little jealous over Emily. **

**Did I surprise you with the pregnancy bombshell? What will happen next? Remember not everything is as it seems (hint hint). We get into the case in the next chapter, which will help in introducing an Emily/JJ scene. **


	11. History Repeating Itself

_Emily walked into the downtown D.C. coffee shop and was elated to see her old friend Matthew. As soon as he saw her he ran up to greet her, pulling her into a bone crushing hug._

_"You're going to smother me" she joked as she moved back to get a better look at him. "You look really good" she smiled._

_"I feel good" he smiled back._

_"How long have you been clean now?"_

_"Couple of months, you know working the program."_

_"That's really good, I'm proud of you."_

_"And how is the big bad FBI agent?" he grinned as he took a sip of coffee, some of the foam catching in his scruff._

_"I'm fine."_

_"After all we did as kids I'm surprised they even let you in."_

_Emily smirked, "Well diplomatic immunity is a hell of a thing."_

_"It does have its perks. So if I remember correctly you haven't had girl trouble since what? 1999?"_

_"More like '98" she chuckled _

_"So what happened?"_

_"This woman I work with came to my house one night a few months ago and we slept together. But then she told me she didn't want a relationship and today I found out that all along she's been dating someone while sleeping with me."_

_Matthew took a deep breath, "Fuck, what a bitch."_

_"She's not, I should have known."_

_"This isn't your fault. None of this is your fault and she's a complete idiot for not wanting to be with you. You're too good for her. So what do you want to do about it?"_

_"I just want to forget" Emily admitted with a sigh._

_"Okay, I can help you with that if you help me."_

_"Fuck, we are just a mess aren't we?"_

_Matthew shrugged and offered her a sad smile, "We always were, that's why we get along."_

_"Yeah."_

_"Yeah."_

* * *

><p>"I think I'm pregnant" she uttered softly against his neck.<p>

"Wait aren't you with Seaver?"

Emily chuckled at the assumption, "No, if I was maybe I wouldn't be in this position."

"But she's always all over you."

"She is forward isn't she?" Emily chuckled. "I'm pretty sure she winked at me the other day" she added, hoping to change the subject from the bombshell she just dropped.

"Who's the father?" Her plan didn't work.

"An old friend of mine, Matthew."

"And he's…" Morgan drifted off, hoping Emily would fill in the pieces.

"A mess" she confessed.

"What do you mean?"

"He's dealt with addiction issues before, when I met up with him after finding out about JJ and Will he was clean. I tried to call him a few days ago and he's...he's doing...he's bad again" She stuttered, trying to find the right words without saying too much.

"Do you know for sure? About being pregnant I mean."

"I'm late, exhausted all the time, I felt really nauseated all of last week. I took a couple of tests, one was positive the other negative. I have to get it confirmed. Derek, I-I don't know if I can do this, raise a baby by myself" Emily confessed as she started to cry. "I can't do it with Matthew, he'd fuck everything up for this poor baby. He wouldn't mean to but he would…"

"Hey, hey, you won't be alone. We'll support you no matter what. Are you sure you want to keep it?" Morgan softly asked as he held her closer. He hated JJ in that moment, he hated that the only reason Emily was in that position was because of her selfishness. Sure Emily made a bad decision but she just wanted to escape from the pain JJ had inflicted on her for a while. Maybe she even needed to feel wanted.

"I can't do that…" Emily trailed off before she said it, _again. _

"When are you going to the doctor?"

"I have to make an appointment."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

Emily nodded before speaking up, "Don't tell anyone please."

"Okay" he agreed. "It's going to be okay, you're okay" he coaxed as she started to relax. It felt good to finally tell someone.

"I'm too damn old for this shit" Emily chuckled, causing Morgan to laugh as well.

* * *

><p>About a week after her airstrip confessional Emily had still not told Morgan about her results from the doctor. Garcia had noticed that Morgan had seemed especially stressed, but he brushed her off every time she tried to approach him about it. JJ had also been observing Morgan and Emily, whose friendship appeared to be strained. She was relieved that for once it wasn't because of her. She had also noticed that Emily must have been picking at her nails from stress, again. However, any sense of relief quickly faded away on the next case that started in Pittsburgh.<p>

"This case came directly to me" Hotch began as he briefed the team in the BAU conference room. "15 years ago eleven professional brunette women between the ages of 30-35 were raped and murdered in the greater Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. Alan Altman Murray Jr. was executed for the crimes approximately a year and half ago."

"Then why are they calling us?" Morgan questioned.

"Because three days ago a Catholic priest told his nephew, a Pittsburgh vice officer, that the only witness, James Francis Cramer also known as Jimmer, confessed that the man who died for the crime didn't do it. He claimed in a prison deathbed confession during last rites that his statement was coerced. His statement was the only non-circumstantial evidence that led to Murray's conviction. Murray argued his innocence until he was executed."

"15 years, can a unsub even go 15 years without killing?" Seaver questioned the team leader.

Rossi spoke up to answer, "He might be able to tone it down, limit his killing, change his area, but he won't be able to stop completely, not someone this compulsive."

"Which is why we need to not only solve this case but find a connection to any open ones across the country. We don't know where he's moved to."

"That's almost impossible, solving a 15-year-old serial killer case and finding out if there are any matching cases from the last 15 years" Morgan groaned. This was not going to be an easy case.

"We need to start in Pittsburgh, wheels up in 30."

Emily sighed as she spoke up, "What else does our priest know that isn't telling us?"

"What do you mean?" Seaver questioned, enthralled by Emily's line of thinking as usual.

"What else isn't he saying Hotch?"

"We don't know" Hotch inhaled sharply, "But his nephew, officer Trent Michaels, thinks he's hiding something."

Emily scoffed and sarcastically replied, "Well he has an oath doesn't he?"

"Prentiss" Rossi scolded gently. Emily huffed as she left the room, obviously in no mood.

"What's going on with her" JJ quietly asked Garcia who just shook her head in response. What was going on with Emily?

**Pregnancy hormones or something else entirely? Predictions are welcome as always. **


	12. Intra-Office Rumpus Humpus

Emily sat down on the plane with a cup of coffee, earning herself a glare from Morgan. "Sure you wouldn't prefer water instead princess?"

"Yes" she replied back in a short tone.

"Yes, you want me to get you a bottle of water?"

"Yes, I'm sure I wouldn't prefer water instead. I want coffee so I'm drinking coffee" her voice became noticeably lower, "lay off."

He lifted his arms to motion a surrender as Hotch began to further discuss the case at hand, "All eleven victims of our unsub were brunette, well-educated, successful, and wealthy in a set age range of 30-35 years old. All the victim's bodies were dumped in the same local reservoir outside of town except for the last victim, Marie Cooper. She was left for dead in her car out of her home."

"She was more personal" Emily interjected. "He wanted to further dominate her besides the rape and murder, he needed to violate her personal space while embarrassing her, leaving her body to be found by the public."

The team nodded in agreement as Hotch continued, "Our former suspect Murray was a junkie who worked as a prostitute and whose personal video collection included child pornography. His fingerprints were found in Cooper's car but he claimed that he was just trying to look for valuables to steal. James Cramer, Jimmer, claimed that he saw Murray fiddling with the body and that coupled with the fingerprints inside the car led to an arrest warrant, which in turn led to finding the child porn."

"I hate to ask this but what kind of porn was it?" Emily questioned with a look of disgust on her face.

"Teenagers, just under the age of consent."

"When did he start working as a prostitute?"

"It doesn't say."

Rossi smiled at the brunette, as he saw where she was headed, "What if Murray started prostituting himself as a teen and it warped his view of sex? Maybe something happened to him that made him only view sex as safe if it involved two teens, before the age he started working on the street. Before he hit the age when he was probably attacked in a violent sexual assault."

"That's a possibly" Hotch agreed.

Emily didn't take the compliment as a success just yet, "The next question would be, who coerced Jimmer?"

"Cops" Morgan shrugged.

"But what did they have to gain?"

"Unsub off their streets." Morgan answered back as the duo started to bounce ideas off each other.

"But what if they knew he wasn't the right guy, didn't they have any doubts?"

"What if they didn't?"

"I bet someone did, but whatever reason they had to convict Murray was good enough for them to shut up" Emily surmised.

"I like where Emily's going with this" Seaver cut in with a smile.

"What a surprise" JJ grumbled sarcastically as Hotch shot her one of his famous glares.

"He's a sexual sadist, which should help us narrow down the crimes."

"Sorry bossman but this is going to be difficult to narrow down. We're going to need a profile first before I can work my magic" Garcia said over the computer screen, her voice tinged with disappointment.

"When we land I want Seaver with Rossi on victim family interviews, Reid work out a geological profile, JJ get together a statement for the press, Morgan and Prentiss consult with Father Michaels and local detectives, I'll meet with the M.E."

"If we can solve this case and find out who our unsub is, we still can't get him without any physical evidence from the cases" Reid spoke up. "The evidence the police had 15 years ago was lacking at best, and now the case is 15 years cold. Unless…"

"Unless what?" Ashley asked as Reid glanced over to Emily.

"We could do a sting."

"NO!" Morgan shouted defiantly, much to the confusion of the rest of the team. But Morgan already knew where Reid was going with his idea. Only Emily fit the unsub's type and he was sure she was who Reid wanted to use as bait. He trusted Emily's skills in the field and any other time he would be fine with the idea, but he was not going to allow it in her current condition.

"Morgan" Emily snapped as she blushed in embarrassment.

"Emily this is not a good idea" he replied back adamantly, crossing his arms across his chest as he shook his head.

"It's just a suggestion" she offered as the rest of the team intently watched them. Hotch wondered, and worried, that Morgan and Prentiss were together, Rossi reminisced about the good old days when he slept with all the female FBI agents, JJ and Seaver were both jealous, and Reid was just plain confused. Emily rubbed her eyes and looked back to Morgan, "We'll talk later" she stated as the rest of the team felt even more confident in their assumptions, except for of course Reid.

* * *

><p>"Can you believe that Morgan and Emily are together now!" JJ and Seaver ranted in unison to Garcia over the phone.<p>

"Who is this?"

"Me and Ashley" JJ confirmed.

"You and Ashley Seaver?" Garcia asked hoping for clarification. _JJ and Ashley working together? I am having a stoke?_

"Yeah can you believe them?" Ashley complained, much to the amusement of Garcia. "Emily told me she doesn't date co-workers."

"And Morgan is a sleaze" JJ added, equally upset over the new development.

"Hey!"

"Sorry Pen but he's a player and Emily doesn't need that right now."

"Sure JJ" Garcia replied sarcastically as she rolled her eyes at JJ's hypocritical statement. "I know for a fact that they aren't together but something is going on between them."

"Are you sure?" the two blondes asked simultaneously, both heavily invested in the answer.

"God I cannot believe there are two of you now" Garcia complained. "Don't you have a case to solve?"

"And we will but Emily…"

"Mind your own damn business" Garcia ordered as she hung up the phone and immediately burst into a fit of laughter. _What a hot mess _she thought as she went back to hacking into the statewide missing person database.

* * *

><p>"What the fuck Morgan!" Emily yelled as she entered into the SUV with her partner, slapping his arm.<p>

"What?"

"You were acting like a fucking Neanderthal" she accused.

'You're pregnant" he shot back firmly.

"No, I'm not" she said quietly.

"What?"

"It was a false positive."

"But tired and vomiting."

Emily shrugged, "I probably just had the flu, that and stress over everything."

Morgan's voice immediately became softer and more caring, "What's been bothering you? Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's just work, and JJ, and Matthew, and everything else combining together to create this perfect storm of fuckery that is my life. I was just processing and I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"Em you don't have to apologize, I just want to help you."

"You are" Emily smiled. "But some stuff I just need to work out on my own" she added.

"Are you relieved?"

"I guess so. It certainly wasn't an ideal situation, it wouldn't be the right time. I'd be a fucking disaster at it anyway."

"Come on Prentiss, we both know that's not true."

"It is true. What makes you think I'm qualified to raise a child?"

Derek's playful demeanor suddenly turned serious after Emily's question, "What makes you think you aren't? I think, no, I know you'd be a great mother. Be honest Emily, have you ever thought about it?"

"No" she snapped back a little too quickly. Fortunately, for Emily, the conversation was cut short by Garcia.

"Hey baby girl, what you got for us?" Morgan inquired as he put the phone on speaker.

"A warning" she giggled.

"What?" Morgan asked looking confused as he briefly turned away from the road to look at an equally perplexed Emily.

"Tweedledee and Tweedledum are convinced that you two are doing the nasty together!"

"WHAT?!"

"GROSS!"

"Hey!" Morgan yelled at Emily, offended by her statement.

She just shrugged and addressed Garcia, "What the fuck is going on?"

"Well both Seaver and JJ are convinced that you two are engaged in a little intra-office rumpus humpus and are super jealous and now have it out for Morgan" Garcia spit out all in one sentence as Emily shuddered at her terminology. _Rumpus humpus? _

"Damn princess, you need to control your women" Morgan snickered.

"They aren't my women!" she argued adamantly. "But, and I can't believe I'm going to admit this, I'm going on a date when we get back."

"Yay!" Garcia squealed. "This will be so good for you. So who is it?"

"A guy my mom set me up with" Emily groaned.

"So is it safe to assume that you're done dabbling in the lady lagoon of love?"

"Garcia!"

"What?"

"Poor Seaver, that girl has it bad for you princess." Morgan chuckled.

Emily huffed after looking over to a smirking Morgan, "I'm only telling you this because…"

"You want me to help you pick out an outfit?" Garcia interrupted hopefully.

"God no, I need you to check him out for me. Do NOT go full stalker PG, I just need to know he's not married, a serial killer, or a Republican."

"Will do baby doll, name please."

"Vincent Cullen."

"He sounds cute" Garcia yelled in a shrill voice. "Vampire?"

"No like the Texas oil family."

"Baby girl how can you tell if someone is cute by a name?"

"I have a sixth sense about these things. Okay, I must get back to my babies and I shall check up on your oilman for you my princess raven locks. And watch your back Morgan, blondies sounded like they wanted to cut a bitch on the phone today" she giggled before hanging up the phone.

"She's insane" Emily remarked.

"You don't know the half of it" Morgan laughed as they continued their drive to the police precinct.

**Did Emily completely open up to Morgan or is she still hiding something?**

**How will Emily's date come into play? **

**The next chapter features a scene that I think Emily/JJ lovers will appreciate. **


	13. Revelations

**The truth about what has been bothering Emily finally comes out. **

**Who does she reveal it to?**

Father Brian Michaels was a grey-headed man who looked to be going bald at the crown. He was wearing the usual priest attire and he had kind hazel eyes, eyes that Emily thoroughly avoided. Emily and Morgan had conferred with the local detectives, who had nothing to offer except old case files. The solving of the case would depend solely on Father Michael's interview, which worried Emily. Would he tell them everything they needed to know? An innocent man, well fairly innocent, had already been executed for the crime. Countless other victims would also be effected, future victims could be saved by this interview and all Emily wanted to do was get Michaels to talk.

"What exactly did James Cramer tell you?" Emily sternly asked the man sitting in front of her, her hands crossed on the table in between them.

"He was dying of hepatitis, from the drugs" Father Michaels kindly replied. "He wanted to be made clean."

Emily scoffed, earning a glare from Morgan. JJ, who was watching through the one-way glass, was surprised by the way Emily was acting. Emily didn't lose her cool on cases, what made this one so different? Was it because she saw herself in the victims? "I need to know what he said" Emily continued in the same firm monotone.

"He said that he had put an innocent man away, that the man had died."

"Did he tell you about the case?"

"Yes."

"Because I read that your nephew…"

"Trent" Father Michaels interjected with a smile.

"Trent, wrote in his report that you didn't even tell him who told you about the case. He wrote that you only said that a man confessed during last rites that an innocent man went away for a crime he didn't commit. You didn't even tell him the name, he had to go through prison records and court records himself. So with this in mind I'm going to ask you again. What exactly did James Cramer tell you?"

"Confession is sacred."

"So is life!" She yelled as she slammed the table.

"Prentiss" Morgan warned.

Emily pointed straight at Father Michaels, "He knows! He knows way more than he's telling us and he's hiding behind his vows! Eleven women are dead, probably more and he's protecting our unsub!"

"Emily."

"WHAT THE FUCK AREN'T YOU TELLING ME?!"

"Prentiss!"

JJ rushed into the room and ushered Emily out, "Tell the truth!" Emily yelled as JJ dragged her out of the room. Escaping from the blonde's grip Emily ran into the bathroom and braced herself on the counter, turning on the facet and watching the water run.

* * *

><p>"What was that?" JJ asked in a cross voice as she entered into the precinct bathroom and turned off the facet.<p>

"He's lying!"

"Emily this is an interview not an interrogation."

"He's hiding something. If he knows who coerced the statement we could already…"

"Emily, what is going on with you?"

"Mind your own business JJ."

"It is my business when you're fucking up the case" JJ scolded.

"I'm not fucking up the case."

"You just cussed out a priest, do you think Pittsburgh PD is ever going to want to invite us back after that? What were you thinking?"

"Nothing."

"Emily" JJ commanded as she moved impossibly closer to the clearly upset profiler.

"JJ."

"Emily talk."

"Just stop JJ, stop pretending that you care."

"Stop pretending that I care? I do care, I'm not pretending. You're hurting and I want to be here for you. What is going on?" JJ asked gently.

Emily sighed as the tears began to fall, "It's everything and he's the reason. People like him ruin lives."

"Em what are you talking about?"

"They ruined Matthew's life, I ruined it too. He believed in it and now he has nothing. And I keep getting punished for it, because I did it to him" Emily rambled incoherently as she leaned over the sink.

JJ approached her and began to soothingly rub her back, "What are you talking about?"

"I fucked up, I fucked up his life" Emily choked out over a sob.

"Who?"

"Matthew."

"Whose Matthew?"

"He's an old friend. He's addicted to meth, amongst other things. He can't get clean."

"How is that your fault?"

"Because he used to believe that life had meaning and I took that away from him. I did, and so did people like Father Michaels."

"How?"

Emily finally was able to get control over the tears that racked her body, "I got pregnant at 15 and I couldn't, I couldn't. We didn't know what to do, he was my best friend and we went to our priest. I couldn't have it JJ, I couldn't."

"I know, I know" JJ comforted as she continued rubbing Emily's back.

"He helped me, fix it. But he lost faith in the church that didn't want to welcome me back. He stopped believing in everything he had defined himself by before. He's a mess and I-I did it to him."

"You can't blame yourself for other people's choices."

"He was so young."

"So were you."

"I just wanted to feel accepted" Emily admitted as JJ felt her heart break. Had she done the same thing to Emily?

"Sweetie, why do you think you're being punished?"

Emily's voice became impossibly low, forcing JJ to strain to hear her. "Because I gave up that baby and now I can't have another one."

"What?" JJ was thoroughly shocked by the admission.

"I thought, I went to the doctor and he said it was impossible. It would never happen for me again, that the procedure before...He was surprised I didn't know by now" she laughed bitterly, her voice laden with pain. "People like Father Michaels probably think I deserve it."

"Hey, that's not fair, you don't know that" JJ stated with a gentle voice as she turned Emily to face her. "You did the best you could in a horrible situation and no one is punishing you for that. You need to know that."

"I guess" Emily shrugged as she gave a small sad smile. "I always thought it was always a possibility someday, you know?"

"I know. There are other ways…" JJ trailed off as she tried to find the right words to say. After a few minutes of silence JJ pinned a strand of hair behind Emily's ear as she spoke up softly, "I never told you I was sorry."

"You don't have to…"

JJ lifted her hand to interrupt, "I do."

"It's okay."

"It's not. You deserved so much more than I gave you. I want to apologize for so many things, for all the shit because it all falls on me. I'm sorry I lied to you, I'm sorry that I didn't apologize sooner. But most of all I'm sorry that I ever made you think that I just wanted you for sex, because we both know that it was always so much more than that. I'm so sorry that I ever told you that it was any other way. You, we were so much more than that."

Emily nodded sadly as she looked into JJ's red rimmed eyes, "I miss you. I miss being your friend."

"I miss you too."

"But I'm not ready to be your friend again" Emily confessed.

"I know."

"Someday…"

"I understand" JJ nodded as they heard Morgan's voice on the other side of the bathroom door.

"Are we okay?" He called out.

"We will be" Emily said softly as she glanced over to JJ.

**Now we know why Emily has been so upset lately. **

**We're moving in the right direction, Will might make an appearance soon. **

**Am I the only on that really hates him on the show? He's just always comes across as such an idiot to me, like when he just showed up in NYC at the end of season 3. In my opinion he's akin to Larry in Orange is the New Black. **


	14. Will

**The case is starting to come to a close, largely because my main goal was for it to serve as a catalyst for Emily to finally open up to JJ. **

"Do we have anything?" Hotch asked as he walked into the precinct conference room with Seaver and Rossi.

"No" the other three agents said.

"What about Father Michaels?"

Emily cringed, worried that her outburst may have cost her the case, and maybe her job. "He wasn't helpful" Morgan cryptically said.

"Should I try to talk to him?"

"NO!" The three shouted in unison.

"He won't tell us anything" JJ spoke up.

"Why not?"

"The vows sir, he has to respect his vows" Reid stated as she looked over to Rossi who nodded.

"Well what do you have Reid?"

"All the murders except for Cooper have a set geographical pattern, she must have been his trigger or at least special to him. We need to focus on her to find our unsub."

"Detective reports confirm that there were two sets of prints found at the scene, Jimmer's and a mystery person's prints, but they weren't in the system" Emily added.

"They just ignored that lead and went with Jimmer?" Seaver asked surprised by the shady police work.

Emily sighed, "She was single, they assumed it was from a date. But I think that someone helped them get to their conclusion."

"Rossi?" Hotch asked hopefully as he looked over to the experienced profiler.

"Victim's families don't know anything new."

"They don't remember much from 15 years earlier either" Seaver offered in a disappointed tone.

"M.E. said the case notes proved that the women did fight back but were overpowered, no restraints were used, no drugs found in their systems. Our unsub must be male and strong enough to subdue a woman. I would put him in the age range of 20 to 30 years old 15 years ago. He would be between 35 and 45 now. We don't know who coerced the statement but what if the officer who took it knows?"

"He doesn't" Emily answered. "He said that local PD knew Jimmer frequented the area Cooper lived in and were told to go pick him up for questioning. He had priors, they thought he could be involved in some way. When they did bring him in for questioning he didn't know anything and he wasn't cooperative at all. However, Jimmer returned to the police station two days later and for some reason he had a new incentive to talk. But I was thinking, Jimmer has a record right?"

"Yeah" Morgan answered confused by Emily's line of thinking.

"I had Garcia look into Jimmer's record and 15 years ago he had already racked up 4 arrest warrants for solicitation, possession, and for attempted robbery. He was looking at some major time if he was caught again, but the strange thing is that he wasn't arrested for doing anything illegal for the next 5 years."

"Do we believe that our Jimmer stayed out of trouble for that long?" Rossi smirked.

"And why 5 years? Something about that number, it seems like an agreement" she added.

"Were there any arrest records for Jimmer leading up to his statement?" Hotch asked hopefully. Maybe it was the officer that arrested him that decided he'd be a good witness to help put away Murray.

"No" Emily sighed. "That's all I have, but someone must have had enough power to make his problems go away."

"Why would a cop want the wrong man behind bars?" Morgan asked with a small smile.

"Because he knew whoever did it and they were close to him" Seaver answered as she looked over and smiled to Emily. The flash of genius was interrupted by the southern drawl of a certain Louisiana detective.

* * *

><p>"I was hoping I'd find ya here."<p>

"Will" JJ greeted looking absolutely horrified.

"Will?" Seaver asked Reid who just nodded his head. Reid had been the one to accidentally tell the FBI cadet about JJ and Emily's history. She tried to suppress a laugh when she saw the man. _This is Will? This was the guy that JJ had chosen over Emily? She chose him over Emily Prentiss? What a moron, I can't even with this woman. And how can someone his age not know how to enunciate? Emily can speak six languages, this guy can barely speak one, which is the overstatement of the year. Fuck, JJ gives us blondes a bad reputation."_

_"_"W-what are you doing here?"

"You didn't think I'd forget our anniversary did you?" Will asked with a wink. "You said you were here and I figured we could go see your parents while you're out here. They should meet the man in your life."

"Will I'm working" JJ quietly protested.

"They don't need you for one night right?" Will asked stupidly as he looked over to Hotch who furrowed his brow.

"That's not the case. It's all hands on deck" Hotch answered firmly.

"Well then I can help you move it along sooner."

Morgan scoffed at the ludicrous suggestion, "You don't even have jurisdiction here."

Emily was trying her hardest not to laugh at the look of confusion on Will's face. Morgan's statement had just put in her more pain, since she kept chewing the inside of her lip to stop the fit of laughter from escaping her mouth.

"Will why don't you just go wait at the hotel for me" JJ ordered as Morgan sent a text to Garcia.

**You will not believe what just happened P.**

**What my chocolate God of love?**

**The Cajun cupid showed up to celebrate JJ and his anniversary on a case.**

**OMG barf. **

"Real nice guys" JJ scolded as she took a look at Morgan's phone and stormed away with Will, leaving her team behind in a fit of giggles. Even Hotch was struggling to not laugh at the absurd sight in front of him.

"You can go ahead and stay at the hotel for the night JJ, we're going to stay and profile Cooper" Hotch offered with a smile.

"Thanks."

* * *

><p>As soon as they entered into the hotel room Will started taking off his pants, much to the chagrin of JJ.<p>

"What the fuck was that?"

"What?" He asked dumbly as he almost fell over trying to slip out of one of the pant legs.

"You just showing up here?"

"I wanted to see you. You know most women would be happy if their boyfriends came all this way for a visit."

"And I'm not most women. Why can't you seem to understand my job?"

Will chuckled, "Cher I get your job. We have the same job. Except I actually make an effort to see you."

"Will we do not have the same job. I have to fly across the country on a moments notice, I don't have pre-set shift times or set time off. I go when I'm called and that's the job."

"Well why don't you just do what we talked about?" he shrugged. "Why do you still have you clothes on?"

JJ shook her head, ignoring Will's last question. "We? What we talked about? Because last time I checked it was YOU that wanted me to move to New Orleans and give up my job to be a detective with you, which is the dumbest idea I've ever heard."

"Why is it dumb? Because it was my idea?"

"Because I'm a FBI agent in one of the most elite units in the Bureau and you want me to become a police officer" she huffed with her arms crossed as Will sat down on the bed. "I would never ask you to move to Virginia and give up your detective's shield."

"I would if you asked me. Ask me."

"No."

"Why no?"

JJ's tone became softer, "Will this just isn't working."

"What isn't?"

"Us, I'm not happy. Are you happy? Honestly? Because I don't think I ever really was."

"Then why're ya even with me?"

"Things were easy with us, but easy isn't enough."

"Easy is good!"

"Being comfortable together isn't enough though. We have to have more in our relationship and we don't have it. We don't connect."

"Connect? Ya know things aren't perfect but we can fix things."

"Will your idea of 'fixing things' is changing me into being the sort of woman you want. I don't want to stay home and raise children or live in New Orleans or have you fly across the country for an anniversary."

While JJ's tone became softer, Will's voice became more irate, "Are ya tryin' to break up with me?"

"I think I already did."

"Wow, you are a real bitch ya know. Real bitch…" He drifted off as he started to pace and gesture wildly. "You, you are the worst! You're talkin' 'bout dumpin' me on our 9 month anniversary! Someday you're gonna wake up and you're gonna be all alone and remember a certain conversation!" He screamed as he stomped around the room.

"You're right" JJ agreed as she thought back to a different conversation entirely. One that had already began to haunt her. One where she had made the stupidest decision in her entire life, one that she had regretted the very moment she made it. But she had been too stupid, stubborn, and afraid to admit it. The words raced through her mind as she drifted from that hotel room with Will back to a rainy night outside her front door.

_"Him or me JJ" Emily sternly ordered. _

_"Emily I…"_

_"Just tell me" Emily pleaded, already knowing the answer. _

_JJ looked at Emily with tears in her eyes, "I choose Will."_

"And Fuck you JJ" Will stopped ranting, obviously proud of himself for what he had said.

JJ didn't know what he had been going on about and she didn't care. "FYI anniversary means annual dumbass, like a year not 9 months!" She yelled to him as he walked out the hotel room door, slamming it behind him. JJ fell back on to the bed and laughed quietly as her thoughts went back to Emily. She just broke up with her boyfriend and she should have been sad, but she wasn't. Not about him anyway. _How could I have been so stupid? _She wondered as picked up her cellphone.


	15. Confessions

"Prentiss" Emily responded as she answered her phone.

"Your mother warned me that you answered your phone like a brute" a male voice with a slight southern accent quipped on the other end of the phone.

"Vincent?"

"That's me."

"How did you get my number?" Emily smiled at the silence on the other end, "From my mother?"

"Your honor she is leading the witness."

Emily chuckled, "Your honor?"

"Environmental cases never go to court, I never get to use legal talk."

"Oh the travesty."

Vincent chuckled at her sarcasm, "We still on for Friday?"

"I'm working now actually, can we do Sunday instead?"

"Sure" he replied cheerfully.

"You're really okay with that?" A small smile appeared on her face because of his understanding response. Most guys didn't care for or tolerate the ever-changing nature of her job.

"I get what you do is important. Serial killers right?"

"Yeah."

"I get that you have to catch him before he comes down here and kills me, because that'd be a real tragedy."

"The world would stop."

"Promise me you'd try to love again" he teased.

Emily really smiled for the first time in a long while. "What are you still doing awake?"

"I was eating popcorn before bed and a kernel got stuck in my teeth and now I can't fall asleep."

"So you decided to call me? How romantic."

"I know" he almost giggled. "So Sunday at 6 meet me Kramerbooks on Connecticut avenue."

"Okay, good night."

"Good night Emily" he replied as she hung up the phone. _Was it possible that her mother was actually right about Vincent?_

* * *

><p>"What's up Jayje? Shouldn't you be celebrating your anniversary?" Garcia asked with a giggle as she answered her phone.<p>

"I broke up with Will."

"Oh my god shut up!" Garcia squealed. "I am so happy for you!"

"Thanks?" JJ chuckled.

"I have to call my chocolate…"

"No Pen, I don't want to answer a bunch of questions about my personal life during a case." JJ pinched the bridge of her nose as she let out a deep sigh, "I fucked up. I should have picked Emily."

"You're just figuring this out now?! JJ I love you, but you're an idiot."

"I know."

"What changed?"

"I think I always knew but was just scared. But you were right, not having her in my life is awful."

"So what are you going to do about it?" Garcia wondered as she started to panic, remembering to just that morning when she encouraged Emily to go on a date with Vincent the oil heir/environmental lawyer. The man sure was a book of contradictions.

"I think we're getting back to being friends again and I think I need to start from there."

"That's a good plan, except no sex" Garcia firmly ordered.

"I know."

"For a while, Emily will probably hold out on you now anyway." Garcia laughed at JJ's groan. "You'll work it out, get some sleep."

"Okay thanks Pen" she smiled as she hung up the phone and sunk into the hotel bed.

* * *

><p>The next morning at the precinct JJ felt uncomfortable about the night before with Will. But Emily was quick to assure her that no one cared and it was only Will who should have been embarrassed. JJ felt a wave of relief wash over her, not only about Will but that her friendship with Emily was starting to be repaired.<p>

"I have an idea" Seaver spoke up as the rest of the team worked on sifting through Marie Cooper's life.

"What is it?" Rossi asked, hoping fresh eyes may help.

"Okay well the person is connected to Marie Cooper right? I was thinking they would have to be powerful enough to have police connections to help steer the case in the wrong direction. Marie Cooper was an accountant, what if she did the taxes for our unsub?"

"Or someone close to him" Emily added. "Think about it, he'd be young maybe it was a parent or family friend that connected him to Cooper."

Hotch liked the idea and decided to run with it, "Garcia who did Marie Cooper work for?"

"She worked at an accounting firm."

"Check the personnel files, who did she work for?"

"No one especially rich or powerful, everyone was just normal middle-class clients."

"Did she report any side income during that time?" Emily asked hopefully.

"Why yes my brunette beauty she did" Garcia spoke up as the team heard her typing furiously over the phone. "She was paid from a check that came form an account that belonged to State Senator Marc Kemp. He was a local real estate investor who transitioned into politics and it looked like he was very generous with the Pittsburgh Police Department both before and especially after Murray was convicted."

"Anything else baby girl?"

"A year before the killings started Kemp was endorsed by the police commissioner."

"Old friends" Emily smirked.

"Must have been."

"Did he have any sons with minor records?"

"No records but he does have a son, Warren, that was killed in a car accident a few months after Murray was arrested."

Emily took a deep breath, "How much do you want to bet that the car accident wasn't an accident after all?"

"Or that his son inherited his sociopath tendencies from his father" Rossi added.

"Garcia I need you going through the Commissioner's life, we need to know who his right hand man was or is. The Commissioner wouldn't want to get his hands dirty with this, Rossi, Seaver, and Prentiss you need to get a confession from Kemp. We need to check the M.E. report to see what really happened to Warren."

"Hotch those reports are going to be tampered with" Morgan spoke up.

"Okay so we exhume the body."

"No such luck bossman, Warren, like his mother, was cremated."

Hotch rubbed his eyes before looking over to Emily and Rossi, "Then it all rests on a confession."

"Where we headed Reid?" Rossi asked the young genius.

"Harrisburg."

"Morgan and Reid you need to go over Warren's car accident report anyway and see if it was an accident after all. Maybe you can find something to shake up Kemp or the Commissioner" Hotch ordered as the team dispersed.

* * *

><p>Before the team members arrived in Harrisburg Marc Kemp had already been picked up and brought to the police precinct. Rossi had told Emily that because she fit the victim type she was going to take the lead on the interrogation. All the evidence had gone cold so they needed a confession. They needed a miracle.<p>

"The Senator will see you now" Kemp's young secretary informed the trio leading them to the interrogation room the man was occupying. It was obvious that Kemp was trying to gain control over the situation, making the precinct his own.

"State Senator" Emily mumbled as Rossi and Seaver chuckled.

"What can I do for you?" Marc Kemp asked at the team entered into the small room. Marc Kemp was wearing a blue suit with a white shirt and a red tie, a flag pin was adorning his left suit lapel. He looked to be in his early seventies and slicked back the few gray hairs that were left on his head.

"We need to talk about Warren" Rossi answered.

"He always was a troubled boy."

"How so?"

"You heard about the drinking and driving that killed him I assumed."

Emily sternly replied to the statement, "You assume correctly."

"Well Mr. Kemp…"

"It's Senator" Kemp interjected as he interrupted Rossi.

"Senator" Rossi said with disdain in his voice, "We need to talk about your connection, and Warren's, to Marie Cooper. She died 15 years ago, but you already know that don't you?"

"It was big news across the state."

"Bigger news for you as your son was attending Seton Hill at the time."

"I wasn't worried, he didn't fit the type" Kemp shrugged.

"But they fit his didn't they? The same type as his mother. Same age as her when she died, she killed herself right?"

"Right."

"She drowned herself in the tub after overdosing on sleeping pills."

"It was a tragedy."

Emily joined in on the conversation, "Your family has been dealt a lot of tragedies, hasn't it?"

"Time and chance happeneth to them all."

"Ecclesiastes 9:11" Emily stated.

"You know scripture."

"I know enough to get by." Emily shrugged as if she was uninterested, "I also know serial killers. I know how they think, how they operate. You see your son, Warren, he probably always had your tendencies but after you killed his mother it set him off. It triggered him, you see she was an alcoholic and, like you, he hated her."

"I didn't hate her."

"Yes, yes you did Marc. You hated her for the same reason your son did. She was weak, she wore you down. She wasn't there for you, and she wasn't there for your son either. How many times did she get a DUI that you had to sweep under the rug? How many times did she forget to pick up Warren at school or go on a 'spa trip' that was really a secret rehab? Everyone was going to know Marc and it, she was going to ruin everything. All your ambitions, everything, she was ruining it. But you got to kill her and he didn't so he found surrogates for her. He found replicas for his mother to kill because you took away his only chance. You both wanted it but you took it away before he could. Didn't you?"

"Where is my attorney?"

"He's coming" Rossi answered.

"Do you want to stop Marc, are you too weak?" Emily taunted.

Kemp clenched his jaw at the accusation, "I don't need him."

"You don't? Do you finally realize that is not going to fix everything Marc? Stop trying to fix everything. You couldn't fix your wife, you couldn't fix your son and you can't fix this. We know everything, we know about how you were involved with Marie Cooper and Warren found out. She was perfect mark for his mother, the woman he tried to kill over and over again! And here you were, you were going to take that away from him, Again! You were going to rob him of that again."

"No I wasn't, I wasn't going to kill her."

"So he killed her, he raped her and killed her. He made sure to let her fight back like all the others because that got him off. Did it get you off too? Like your son? And after they found Cooper's body you finally knew for sure, but you didn't want to help Warren, you wanted to fix things. So you went to your friend Commissioner Ellis to help you FIX things because that is what you do. And then you killed Warren, the same way you killed your wife."

"I don't know what you're talking about" Kemp replied adamantly.

"You killed your son because just like his mother he was going to ruin your life. You worked so hard Marc, so hard to get out of that shantytown you called a home. So hard to be take seriously and your entire family was trash. They were tainting you weren't they? What were you going to do when everyone found out that your only child was a serial killer? How would that go over in the next election? I'm Marc Kemp, I raise serial killers vote for me. So you did what you had to, to fix things. And you still failed, you still failed!"

"No I didn't!"

"You killed your son! Your own flesh and blood, like an animal."

"I had to!" Kemp screamed at the top of his lungs over Emily's taunting. "He was a monster."

"And you set up an innocent man to die for him."

"He was pervert!"

"How did you find him, or did you leave that up to Ellis and his right hand man Bernie Mayhew? Who found Jimmer for you? Who found the precious little witness to put away an innocent man for your crime!"

"My crime?"

"Yours."

"Warren did it!"

"But he did it because you killed his mother."

"I didn't I swear I never touched Denise! I swear" he yelled. "Warren did it, I fixed everything. You should be thanking me for dealing with him. You should be thanking me, I killed my own son for this city! I want a deal, I want a deal" he cried as he started to break down.

"We all want things Marc. The same way you probably wanted to be more than a _S__tate _Senator. But guess what? You're not going to get that either" she whispered as the group left the room where Kemp's confession had been recorded.

* * *

><p>"I thought sociopaths don't feel emotions?" Seaver questioned as they left the precinct into a SUV.<p>

"He wasn't crying for his wife, he was crying to manipulate us" Rossi stated.

"Or for his own life" Emily added.

"You did really great Emily, you seemed to know exactly what buttons to push" Seaver complimented.

"Nice job kiddo."

"Thanks" Emily responded absentmindedly. The team already had what they wanted. Kemp confessed to killing Warren, who had killed those women, and it looked like Kemp was going to flip on Ellis and Mayhew. They had solved a 15 year case and it would bring no solace to the families that never had the chance to confront the guilty party. The families that cursed an innocent man until the moment he died. And despite all this the team was lucky, they were lucky that Kemp was a sociopath too, as more possible victims were spared by him killing his own son. It was days like this when there was nothing that could be said that would make the day even marginally better. Days like this where catching the unsub didn't seem like it was good enough. It was days like this when Emily missed JJ the most, because no one would truly understand like she did. Seaver and Rossi congratulated her on a job well done, but to Emily it didn't feel like a success. She felt that they were 15 years and two bodies too late. Had Kemp killed his wife? No one would ever really know. How many officers were really a part of the coverup? Internal Affairs would try to find out, but someone was bound to slip through the cracks. How had the justice system convicted and killed an innocent man? How had Jimmer waited so long to confess? Why even bother to at all? It was always for him, never out of true repentance for his mistakes. How could a man like that be forgiven but not Matthew, or her for that matter? It was days like this that made Emily feel that nothing was ever good enough. It was days like this that reminded her of how acutely imperfect life really was.

Emily was pulled out of her thoughts by her phone ringing, "Prentiss. Okay, see you soon." Emily hung up the phone and addressed Rossi, who was driving, and Seaver, who was sitting in the back seat, "We're needed back in Pittsburg. We have another case."

Rossi sighed, "Another?"

"Looks to be an angel of death."

"How very angelic of him" Seaver chuckled as the trio headed back to their team.

**So maybe Seaver didn't turn out to be that much of a threat to JJ, but what about Vincent? **


	16. Meeting Vincent Cullen

It was a month after the Pittsburgh cases when JJ returned from her lunch break to finish her work, on a Saturday no less. The team, minus Seaver who had returned back to the academy a week prior, was supposed to debrief after a case they had just finished in West Bune, Texas. After finishing her brisk walk through the parking lot she saw someone she had never seen before. He was holding a coffee carrier with two coffees by the Bureau front doors. JJ couldn't help but notice how handsome he was. He was about 6'3" with short side-swept dark brown hair, that was almost black, and adorable freckles. He was wearing a pair of suede boots with blue jeans, a light blue button up shirt, a grey cashmere pullover and a pair of navy blue sunglasses.

"Can I help you?" She asked him warmly.

He took off his sunglasses to reveal his bright blue eyes, "I'm actually waiting for someone. It turns out I don't have the security clearance."

"What are you doing here? If you don't mind me asking."

He gave an embarrassed laugh, "I was going to surprise my girlfriend who works here but it isn't much of a surprise when she has to come get me and prove that I'm not a danger to national security."

"Well I hope she comes soon, what's her name?"

"Emily" he smiled as JJ's heart sank.

"Prentiss?" she choked out.

"Yeah, you know her?" he asked cheerfully as Emily walked out.

"Hey you…" she drifted off when she saw JJ standing there with Vincent. "Fuck me" she mumbled as she looked at the two. JJ looked like a kicked puppy and Vincent was completely oblivious.

* * *

><p><em>The date with Vincent had gone surprisingly well and Emily was actually grateful to her mother for setting it up. Over the course of their date Emily had learned that Vincent Maximilian Cullen Jr. was 36 and grew up in Texas. He was the youngest child of a 3rd generation oilman father, Vincent Sr., and his mother, Beatrice Huntington-Cullen, was the daughter of a tobacco executive and railroad heir. Vincent had attended Duke University and later law school at the University of Virginia. He was shy and kind of quiet, not at all like the cocky egomaniac she had expected. He had a certain boyish charm that Emily felt drawn to. After having coffee at the small bookstore-cafe Emily and Vincent took a walk together through the downtown streets.<em>

_"So today when we met you looked like you were being led to your execution. Be honest, am I that hideous?"_

_Emily laughed, "We both know you're not hideous. I just wasn't looking forward to the date."_

_"Well that feels just peachy."_

_"Not about you, but more about…I just got out of a bad relationship or whatever it was."_

_"I'm sorry to hear that."_

_"It was complicated."_

_"So your mom wanted you to go out without someone else?"_

_"My mom didn't know."_

_"I see" He said with a small smile as he stepped over a puddle on the quiet street. _

_"And you?"_

_"And what about me?"_

_"What made you feel compelled to go on a date with me?"_

_Vincent laughed, the laugh that Emily had noticed meant that he was embarrassed, "My oldest sister, Addy, made me. She worried that I was turning into a hermit, her words not mine."_

_"Oldest sister?"_

_"I have two older sisters, Addison is seven years older than me and Cat, Catherine, is five years older. It is like having three mothers and I would challenge you that it is worse than being an only child."_

_Emily scoffed, "No way."_

_"I think so."_

_"Okay how so?"_

_"My parents of course monitor me like a hawk being the baby and only boy of the family, trying to get me to work for the family business and my sisters join in. Addy is all about getting me to find a nice girl to settle down with and Cat is all about me quitting my job to work for daddy's company. It is like I have four parents and I couldn't get away with anything as a kid, still can't. My sister Addy actually supervised my senior prom, she was 25 at the time. It still makes me wonder, didn't she have anything better to do?"_

_Emily laughed at Vincent's complaints, "I still don't agree with you."_

_"Well you can believe whatever you'd like, even if you're wrong" he smiled._

_"So why did your sister think you were turning into a hermit?"_

_"You can't laugh."_

_"I promise."_

_"I was sort of left at the altar, well technically there was no altar yet but my fiancé left me."_

_"Why would I laugh at that?" Emily asked consolingly as she took his hand. _

_Vincent shrugged, "I don't know. Anyway she realized she loved her best friend and she left me for him. Momma says it was a good thing in the long run but my sisters have been watching me like crazy. I swear it feels like suicide watch. I guess Addy knows your mom from some joint political fundraiser they do together and she thought it would be a good match, the two socially conscious black sheep of their families" He chuckled, "Maybe for once she was right."_

_"Maybe."_

_"Just don't tell her that" he laughed as they continued on their pleasant walk. It was the first time in a while that Emily didn't think about JJ._

* * *

><p>"Well I should get back to work" JJ said uncomfortably as she awkwardly pointed up at the building and quickly left.<p>

"She's kind of off huh?" Vincent asked as Emily clipped the visitor's badge on his sweater.

"Umm, she's okay. We work together, her name is JJ. I'm sorry I didn't introduce you to her."

Vincent shrugged, "She ran off anyway."

"Nice sweater" Emily commented, trying to change the subject as she gently touched the fabric.

"Christmas gift from my sister."

"Which one?"

"I don't remember, one of them" he laughed as he handed her a coffee and followed her into the building.

* * *

><p>"Code red" JJ yelled as she ambushed Garcia and Kevin making out in Garcia's office. "Out" she ordered, pointing at the door as Kevin left the room. "Geez Pen this is work" she scolded.<p>

"Yeah and I'm sure that you're only here for work related reasons" Garcia huffed with an eye roll. "What's wrong buttercup?"

"Boyfriend, he's here."

"VINCENT! I want to see" Garcia whined.

"Fine go ahead, if you pretend to make tea in the break area you should be able to catch them. It was weird Pen, he just showed up here. At her work!"

"I think it's adorable" Garcia replied skipping out of the office as JJ plopped down into her chair. "Fuck me" she groaned as she waited for her friend to return.

Garcia moved not so stealthily through the BAU hoping to catch a glimpse of Vincent. Sure she had hacked into the DMV records to see his driver's license picture but she needed to see him in the flesh. She was not disappointed as she gawked at him from a distance as he was talking with Emily and Reid. He actually seemed interested in what Reid was saying and Garcia thought he seemed like a nice guy. After her recon mission she ran back to her office to find JJ. "Girl you got some competition."

"He's not that great" JJ claimed waving her off.

"Jayje don't be stupid, he's hot. He's like Calvin Klein underwear model hot. And he brought her coffee, at work, on a Saturday."

"And he has a southern accent, just not a horrendous one like Will's." JJ took a deep breath and exhaled sharply, "What do I do?"

"Hmmm, I don't know. Confess your love."

"I can't do that, what if she rejects me and I lose any chance of having our friendship back? Have you talked to Morgan about talking to Emily about me?" JJ rambled.

"Yes honey and she doesn't really talk about you that much, which could be good."

"Or bad, does she talk about Vincent?"

"He never said she did, so I'm guessing no."

"Ugh why did I ever pick Will over her?" JJ groaned as she burrowed her head in her hands.

Garcia felt pity for the blonde and took JJ hands into her own, "That doesn't matter anymore, you just have to prove to her that you want her now."

"How?"

"Tell her how you feel. JJ are you in love with Emily?"

"Without a doubt" JJ replied firmly as she nodded her head.

"Then you need to go and tell her before she gets move involved with this Vincent guy."

"But what if she doesn't want me?"

"That's a risk you just have to take. She took that risk and you owe her the same. Plus you know that she loved you once maybe she still has those feelings for you."

**JJ confesses her love in the next chapter. We all know how we want it to go, but how will Emily receive it? **

**Is Vincent as oblivious about Emily/JJ as he seems? **


	17. The Fourth Bourbon

**A lot happens in this chapter, be prepared.**

**And to any worried, this is an Emily/JJ story not an Emily/OC story. **

"Emily are you in there?" JJ asked as she knocked on Emily's front door.

"Hey JJ are you okay?" Emily asked with a concerned voice as she opened the door and invited the other woman in.

JJ tried to get control over her nerves as she went inside the apartment to sit on Emily's sofa, "I really need to talk to you."

"Okay what's up?"

"It's about a few months ago."

"It's fine JJ" Emily sighed. She just wanted to move on from that entire memory.

"I need to talk to you about it. I never loved Will and I think I only chose him because I felt like I owed him, we had been together longer. And then you are not really the most open person and with work you so I was scared. I was so scared and I'm scared now but I need you to know that I still want you. I love you" She rambled.

Emily looked shell-shocked, she was not expected a confession like this. "JJ why are you telling me this?"

"Because I want to be with you."

"Are you still with him?"

"No, I promise."

"That's the problem JJ, I don't believe you. I don't trust you anymore. You lied to me for months just so I'd have sex with you, how do I know you're not doing it now?"

"I'm not, you have to believe me Emily" JJ pleaded.

"JJ I just, I-I don't know if I can do this again. And are you forgetting that I have a boyfriend now? Why did you wait all this time?"

"I needed time to figure it out" JJ offered.

"Figure what out?"

"That I loved you."

Emily's face gave away that she felt betrayed by the blonde, _again. _"You had to figure that out? You didn't just know. You see this is the problem with you JJ, it's like you weighed your options between me and Will and then when you weren't happy with the result, then you came back to me. I mean, I am just getting my life back together and you're doing this to me again!"

"What?"

"What do you mean 'what?' You always do this, you never want to take responsibility for anything. I don't trust you right now JJ because of your actions from just a few months ago, your actions not mine. You know what? I promise I'll think about what you said but I need some time to process all of this."

"God Emily I am telling you that I love you, can't you just say it back?" JJ inquired in a harsh tone. But immediately after the words left her mouth she regretted saying them, as she knew she was putting too much pressure on Emily.

"You see this" Emily said loudly as she gestured to JJ "is the problem, it is once again about you! What you want, what you need! I need time, that's all I want and you're trying to pressure me into something I'm not ready for because it's better for you."

"Are you going to keep seeing him?"

"Vincent?" JJ nodded in reply. "I don't see how that's any of your business."

"Why can't you just tell me?"

"Because I don't think I owe you any explanation in regard to my personal life anymore."

"Have you slept with him?" JJ inquired in a voice that was so low it was barely above a whisper.

"You know what JJ I think you should go" Emily said as she got up to open the front door for the media liaison. She really didn't feel JJ had any right to ask that question. "I promise I'll think about what you said, but I need time to figure out where I am emotionally."

"Okay" JJ sadly agreed before leaving the quiet apartment. The night hadn't gone as she wanted, but she knew she deserved it. She had betrayed Emily before and lost that trust. And now Emily had a boyfriend, a boyfriend that everyone seemed to like. A boyfriend that Emily let touch her, JJ shuddered at the thought. She walked hearing only the sound of her shoes hitting the pavement before a ringing cut into the restive silence. JJ answered it to discover that the team was being sent on a case in Miami.

* * *

><p>After getting set up at the local precinct JJ was horrified by who she saw walk through the station's doors. It was Will. <em>FUCK FUCK FUCK! <em>she internally cursed as he approached Hotch. However, even though JJ anticipated that Will was going to angry and unreasonable throughout the case, he wasn't. He just seemed sad about the death of his partner, upset that the man didn't trust him, that he didn't confide his sexuality to Will. But Emily intently watched the two interact, she watched JJ's overly familiar touches with the man and the stolen glances they shared. But it was a short talk with an inebriated Will that set her over the edge.

"JJ and I broke up" Will confessed to Emily after his fourth bourbon.

"I'm sorry Will."

"I think we may get back together though, I was upset with her for never putting me first but it was a mistake."

"What was a mistake?" Emily asked completely invested in the answer.

"Breaking up with her."

"You broke up with her?"

"Yep" Will said as he thought back to his rant at the hotel room, the rant that JJ had been completely tuned out of, the rant she didn't hear because her mind was completely consumed with thoughts of Emily.

* * *

><p><em>"Wow, you are a real bitch ya know. Real bitch…" He drifted off as he started to pace and gesture wildly. "You, you are the worst! You're talkin' 'bout dumpin' me on our 9 month anniversary! Someday you're gonna wake up and you're gonna be all alone and remember a certain conversation!" He screamed as he stomped around the room.<em>

_"You're right" JJ agreed._

_"I am right and I deserve better than you! You know what Jennifer? You are so selfish and I'm tired of your shit and tired of tryin' to make this work while you just sit around on your ass and do nothing. So yeah, we need to break up! I'm leaving to go back home because I'm fucking done with you and your fucking job. Fuck this, fuck your job, and fuck you JJ" Will stopped ranting, obviously proud of himself about what he had said._

* * *

><p>"Are, are you sure that she didn't break up with you?"<p>

"Is that what she's been saying" Will drunkenly chuckled, "Sounds like someone was just trying to lick her wounds. I'd rather lick 'em for her" he winked before he continued. It took all of Emily's strength to not gag. "But don't you worry your pretty little head, I'm going to talk to her. We're not over just yet" he smiled as he reassured her condescendingly.

Emily felt like she was going to be sick. _How could JJ do this to me? Again! She gets dumped by Will and comes running to me. I will always be her second choice. She said she loved me, she told me she wanted me and all along I was just an escape from the pain from Will? Fuck JJ, fuck her. _Emily paid her bill at the hotel bar and got up, walking with a purpose to JJ's room.

**In typical Will fashion he screws things up again. But even though it seems bad now, it is always darkest before the dawn (hint hint). Don't give up hope yet, this little snafu may end up working in our ladies' favor. **


	18. Letting Go

**Just keep believing the old adage, it is always darkest before the dawn. **

"Open up the door Jareau" Emily ordered in a serious tone as she pounded on the hotel room door.

"Emily" JJ smiled as she opened up her door, oblivious to what Will had just told Emily.

Emily scoffed at the other woman's warm demeanor "You love me?!"

"I love you more than anything" JJ adoringly stated as she moved closer to Emily, who moved back to create more distance between them.

"You mean you love me when Will doesn't want you anymore, right? Isn't that it?! I begged you to pick me that night and you didn't, you picked him and now you pick me after he doesn't want you anymore!"

JJ was thoroughly confused, what was Emily talking about? Yes, she had royally fucked up, but she wanted Emily and that had nothing to do with Will. The only reason she had picked him was because she was scared, she was scared that they might not work out and that she would lose her best friend, which she did anyway. But she was trying to fix things and she thought she was on the right track. Sure there were a few hiccups and Emily didn't respond to her declaration of love as well as she had hoped, but things were going better than this. Weren't they? "Emily I don't know…"

Emily immediately cut JJ off, "You don't know? Well that makes it all better doesn't it? It makes okay to fuck up my life, again?! AGAIN JJ! You already ruined it once before and what? That wasn't enough for you? I have someone in my life that actually gives a shit about me and that's when you decide that you want me?! I am finally figuring things out, starting to be happy and Jennifer Jareau decides that once again my life is a little too good and needs to be fucked with. Well, at least you saved yourself the energy by not fucking me this time!"

"Em..."

A seething Emily interrupted her again as she furiously pointed at JJ, "Don't fucking call me that! You don't get to call me that or come running to me with your so-called love. You need to leave me alone and live your pathetic life with your burgeoning alcoholic halfwit boyfriend, which is giving him too much credit by the way! STAY AWAY FROM ME!" She commanded as she went to her own hotel room to pack up her things. She texted Hotch from her room before she left for the airport.

**Going to catch a commercial flight home tonight for personal reasons. -Prentiss**

* * *

><p>JJ on her part just stood in shock in the hotel hallway, unaware of what had just happened. She quietly knocked on Emily's door and softly begged "Emily please," but no response was given in return. Why had Emily been so angry with her? Why didn't she believe her about Will? What had Will done? The final question was the one that haunted her, the one that had raced through her mind as she went down to the hotel bar to find the man who had once screwed everything up for her. Sure JJ wasn't positive of what just happened with Emily, but she was sure it involved a certain southern detective in some way. "Bayou Bastard is right" she mumbled as she stomped down to the hotel bar. <em>More like the Cajun cun… <em>she trailed off in her head when she caught sight of the man.

"JJ" He slurred as he tried to get up to meet her, but ended up almost falling over instead.

"Will what did you say to Emily?"

"W-who?"

"Emily. Tall, brunette, delicate porcelain skin, deep brown eyes, works with me, ring a bell?" She asked in a frustrated tone.

"That I was taking you back!" He exclaimed happily as he pointed at her.

"Taking me back?"

"After I dumped you" he offered with a sly grin as he opened his arms to hug her and fell off the barstool.

"Fuck me" she grumbled. "Will I dumped you, you moron!"

"No, I would remember that."

"Yeah I'm sure you would" she replied sarcastically as she started at the man in front of her. She was so embarrassed that she had even ever been with him, let alone chosen him over Emily.

"Wh're ya goin'?" He asked as he watched her start to walk away, not even trying to help him up off all the floor.

"To fix things with Emily."

"Why?"

For some reason JJ was furious at the line of questioning. How could he not see it all along? How could she not see it all along? Why had she waited so long to admit her feelings? Why had she been so worried about things being complicated or their jobs? Who cared at that point? Who cared that it was risking their friendship? She needed Emily as more than just a friend, she always did. It was Emily, it was Emily fucking Prentiss and if you have half a brain you always choose Emily over anyone else. Although JJ shouted at him, she was really yelling at herself. "WHY? Because I'm in love with her Will. I love Emily. I always have!"

"W-what?" He asked stupefied. "She's a woman I thought."

JJ put her hands over her face and tried to muffle a scream, "Fuck! I just can't with you, don't call me. Don't try to take me back I don't want you. I choose Emily over you and I should have months ago." Before running off JJ sighed and turned back to face the man, and decided to apologize to him in a moment of pity. "I'm sorry Will. You're a good person, but I love Emily and I don't want anyone else."

But even with the renewed sense of clarity JJ was terrified. Not terrified of the prospect of a relationship with Emily and what it entailed, but terrified that this time she had really lost Emily forever. She had never seen the brunette so angry, not even at Father Michaels. What if she hated her? JJ felt like she deserved it. She had been so stupid, she really had ruined Emily's life. First she had made Emily believe that she didn't want her, and then that she only wanted her out of desperation. Somehow JJ managed to wander back to her room and picked up her cellphone to call the only person she thought could help her cope. Penelope Garcia.

* * *

><p>"Jayje it's so late" Garcia mumbled on the other side of the line as she looked at the clock on her bedside table, "Or early. What do you want?"<p>

"I fucked up."

"Again?" Garcia questioned with a loud groan. "I say this out of love but JJ you are a complete and utter dumbass."

"I know, it's really bad this time."

"What did you do?"

"Well it was more of what Will did."

"That little bayou bastard" Garcia murmured before JJ continued.

"Remember how I went to tell Emily that I loved her?"

"Yeah and then you didn't tell me what happened. Yeah I remember THAT."

JJ ran her hands through her blonde hair nervously, "Well it didn't go so great. I mean it wasn't that bad, but it wasn't good. She told me that she didn't trust me and I think she was worried that I only wanted her because she's dating Vincent."

"Yeah, well be both know that trust must be earned with our favorite raven haired profiler. And on the Vincent front, sadly he has no brothers…"

"Pen focus! Plus, you have Kevin already anyway."

"Oh so you're the only one that can work a BAU three-way?" Garcia chuckled, much to the horror of JJ.

"Pen!"

"Sorry buttercup I speak the truth. But by the by, how hot would it be with you, Emster, and Vincent?"

"Pen please stop" JJ pleaded.

"I think he'd be into it."

"Please I don't want to think about this" JJ begged in a broken voice. The small smile fell off Garcia's face. She was only trying to tease JJ but JJ sounded so hurt and broken. What was going on? Sure she had been mad at JJ before, but she knew in her heart that the blonde had always loved Emily, she was just scared about loving someone so much and possibly losing them. Garcia didn't want to hear JJ in pain, even if it was of her own doing.

"It's okay honey, what happened?" Garcia asked in a comforting tone.

"Well I was waiting for Emily to process everything and she already had her doubts about my intentions and then Will told her that he dumped me, and now..."

"Oh no."

"Oh yes, and now she thinks I only want her because he dumped me…"

"And she thinks she's your second choice yet again" Garcia finished.

"She hates me now, it's even worse than when I chose Will over her a few months ago."

"Honey what are you going to do?"

JJ sighed as a few tears ran down her cheek, "I don't think it's enough anymore, me loving her. She doesn't...I think I have to let her go."

"WHAT?!"

"I think I should just let her be happy with Vincent, I fucked things up too bad this time."

"But…"

JJ took a deep breath before intervening, "I can't fix this. Pen I've tried everything, apologizing, explaining, I broke up with Will, I told her I loved her and it's not good enough. I hurt her too much and now she doesn't want me anymore. She associates me with pain. She's never going to forgive me and I deserve it. I fucking hate myself for it, and I just can't fix it this time. All I want in the world is for her to give me another chance but it's just not going to happen. I just want her to be happy, you know? She deserves to be happy, and I can't make her happy."

"JJ you have to, you're JJ and Emily. You're Jemily. You'd be the power couple of the BAU, of the FBI even."

"Pen that'd be great if for a second I thought it was true, but she doesn't want me anymore. She's done, and maybe I should be too. If you love someone you set them free."

"JJ that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard! Don't give up, we can fix this" Garcia pleaded over the phone. She wanted more than anything to believe those words, but she just couldn't.

"Please don't make this harder than it is" JJ choked out over a sob. "I can't keep doing this to her, or to myself. I-I fucked up everything, I had her and I didn't pick her. I had her and now I will never get the chance again. I'm just, I'm so in love with her and I don't know what to do about it."

"JJ, I still believe."

"Thanks Pen, but we all know that sometimes you're too positive for your own good."

"JJ, I'm, I'm sorry." Garcia for once in her life didn't know what to say. JJ had given up and she didn't know what to say to make it better. There were no words for a situation like this, when two people who were meant to be together didn't make it.

"I know" JJ sadly replied as she hung up the phone.

**Where did Emily head off to? Any predictions? **


	19. Things Can Always Be Fixed

**I have never seen anything Star Trek related so I hope that google didn't fail me in providing ****accurate information about the show.**

**This and especially the next chapter has feels, prepare yourself.**

Before boarding the plane back to Virginia, Morgan received a phone call from Garcia. "Hey mama, what the hell happened last night between Prentiss and JJ?"

"Ugh, it is fifty shades of fucked up my chocolate thunder" Garcia groaned on the other end of the line. "I know you're going to be taking off soon but just make sure to keep an eye on buttercup. Okay? She's in a bad space right now."

"Okay I'll try" Morgan said as he smiled to JJ, who had just entered the cabin and was still wearing her oversized sunglasses, which Morgan assumed was to help hide the fact that she had cried most of the night. But she shouldn't have even bothered, the team had already deduced what had happened. They were profilers after all, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that JJ was completely heartbroken. The flight home from Miami was especially quiet, because hotel rooms had thin walls the entire team had heard JJ and Emily's fight. Even Reid seemed to know what was going on, which was a miracle in itself. Morgan listed to his iPod and tried to suppress his urges to kill Will, Hotch worked on paperwork thinking about his own failed relationship and Reid just watched JJ, observing if she was okay. He concluded that she wasn't.

"JJ are you excited to have some time off from work?" He asked sweetly with a big grin.

"Sure Spence" she answered him, trying to muster up a smile.

"I'm going to a Star Trek convention if you want to come. We can get dressed up and everything. I was thinking that we go as refugees of the Vulcan people!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"Maybe" she chuckled. She appreciated that he wanted to make her feel better, but that sounded like the worst idea ever. If anything it was just going to worsen her depression.

"What are your feelings about altering cannon so we can claim we're from Darien 224?"

Rossi, for his part, felt especially sorry for JJ, as he had the hotel room directly next to hers and had heard her phone call to Garcia. He had heard the suffering and emotional torment in her voice. And he knew that whatever the two women shared was real. And how could he stand idly by as they walked away from something so special? He knew it wasn't his business, but he felt that the two women would be good for each other. They pushed each other, they challenged each other, in a good way. They challenged each other to be better, both better as people and better as FBI agents. Plus, Rossi always had a soft spot for Emily. He didn't know why, maybe because she reminded him of a more reserved and kinder version of himself. Rossi felt ever sorrier for JJ when he saw Reid trying to cheer her up by inviting her to a sci-fi convention.

"Hey Reid why don't you go invite Morgan too" Rossi suggested, earning smiled from both JJ and Reid. Rossi sat down next to JJ and handed her a cup of coffee, patting her knee in a comforting manner.

"Thanks."

"Things may seem bad now, but they can always be fixed" Rossi discretely told her.

"Says the man who has been divorced three times."

Rossi chuckled at the bitter statement, "Says the man who got the girl three times."

"This team is weird" JJ complained with a small smile.

"We're just invested in our agent's happiness."

JJ exhaled sharply, "What do you think I should do?"

"Don't give her space if that's what you were thinking." He knew that was her plan. "It hasn't worked out well so far. You need to be honest and put it all out on the table for her."

"She doesn't want to listen to me."

"Make her listen" he remarked as if it was the most simple task in the world. JJ didn't see it that way.

"How?"

"That's up to you to figure out."

"I don't think she loves me like I love her" JJ confessed in such a quiet voice that Rossi could barely discern what she had said.

"You don't know that" he stated in a matter of fact tone.

"What if she doesn't want me?" JJ asked nervously as she rubbed her tired eyes. She hadn't slept much the night before, or really any night since she had lost Emily on that rainy evening.

"And what if she does? How will you ever know unless you try? You need to try" he instructed as he got up and went back to sit with Hotch.

"How is she?" Hotch inquired, not looking up from his paperwork.

Rossi took a deep breath and smiled, "She'll be okay."

"How do you know for sure?"

"Because they still love each other" Rossi simply stated as he went back to reading his book.

* * *

><p>JJ pulled up to her house at around 9am and recognized that Emily's car was parked on her street. She exited her car and walked up to Emily's, noticing that the brunette's seat was reclined all the way back and that Emily was using her jacket as a makeshift blanket. She chuckled at the sight as she knocked lightly on the car window.<p>

"WHAT?!" Emily yelled as she shot up in the car, breathing heavily.

"Em?" JJ asked with a small smile, it quickly faded when she realized that she had genuinely scared the other woman. "It's just me" JJ softly said with a wave, hoping that Emily wouldn't have a meltdown because she had called her 'Em' again.

"Yeah, I'm sorry" Emily spoke up as she fixed her hair. "I need to talk to you."

"Maybe you should get out of the car then" JJ directed, pointing to the vehicle.

Emily smirked and opened the car door, "I'm sorry for ambushing you like this."

"Technically I think I ambushed you."

"Listen can we talk?" Emily asked nervously as she started to pick at her fingernails.

"Yeah, let's go inside" JJ said as she inhaled a deep breath, worried about what the other woman was going to say. The walk inside the house was silent and it wasn't until the door was closed and JJ sat on the sofa that Emily began, pacing back as forth as she spoke.

"I know you're probably tired of talking, I am too but I need to say this." JJ cringed before Emily went on.

**Cliffhanger! Don't worry I'll be posting again soon (in a day at the latest). **


	20. You're Terrible But You're Worth It

**Remember why Vincent went on a date with Emily in the first place, that comes into play. **

_It was nearly 4am when Emily arrived at Vincent's Georgetown condo. She rang his doorbell in favor of knocking and pulled him into a passionate kiss as soon he opened the door._

_"Emily are you okay?" He asked confused as she started taking off his shirt._

_"I'm fine" she lied as she thought back to JJ's betrayal._

_"Emily? Are you sure?" He asked still hazy with sleep. "I thought you weren't coming back until tomorrow?"_

_"Are you going to keep asking me questions or are you going to fuck me?" She challenged breathlessly as she started to push him towards the bedroom, her hand slipping into his boxers. _

_He groaned at the contact before coming to his senses. "No" he said firmly as he lightly took a hold of her wrists. The harsh truth was that Vincent was just a placeholder for JJ and he knew it. He would have been upset, but if he was honest with himself he knew that Emily was the same thing to him. For him, Emily was just a distraction. And similar to how Emily was using him to forget JJ, Vincent was using Emily to move on from someone else. They were two heartbroken people desperately trying to put themselves back together the only way they knew how. Except that, before that night, Emily wouldn't let him touch her in those intimate places. The places he knew were reserved solely for JJ. The fact of the matter was that he really liked Emily, he liked the way he felt with her. But his desire for her largely stemmed from a consternation of loneliness. He wanted to feel her bare skin against his, but it wasn't out of need to further their connection. Rather it was out of need to forget the woman he truly loved. Vincent knew that Emily felt the same way, and he didn't want to take advantage of her because of it. He didn't want to exploit her pain because in many ways he was her and he didn't want to feel that sense of self-loathing the next day either. So he did what many other men in his position wouldn't, he stopped her. "What's going on?"_

_"Isn't it obvious? I want you" she husked in his ear, dropping her voice an octave as Vincent struggled to keep his convictions._

_"Really? What happened with JJ?" He asked as their eyes locked._

_"What about her?" Emily inquired venomously as her eyes darted away from his._

_"Emily I have been wanting to do this for almost 2 months now, trying to make sure things were perfect and you wouldn't let me touch you. Now you come back after a case, obviously upset, at four in the morning and you are asking me to 'fuck you.' And all I want in the world is to do that" Vincent said as he rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed by his confession. "But we both know you are not here for me or even you."_

_"I don't know what you're taking about" Emily coldly said. But she was lying and Vincent knew it. "Let's just do it right now, just get it over with. Just do it already" she begged in a heartbreaking dejected tone._

_Vincent sighed at the remark, "Emily I'm not going to do that. You don't really want me, you're just angry with JJ. I made a promise to myself when Johanna and I broke up. I promised that I would never again fall for someone who was in love with another person. Shit, Emily I see the way you look at her, that JJ woman. I saw the way she looked at you. It doesn't take fucking Sherlock Holmes to see it. I really like you, I really do and if I thought for one second that I would ever really have you I would ignore it, maybe then we'd try. But we both know that you will never look at me the way you look at her. Can you honestly tell me otherwise?"_

_"I'm sorry" she confessed softly as she gazed off to the side, embarrassed by her earlier actions and acknowledging that Vincent was right about her motivations for running to him that night. _

_Vincent looked at the floor and quietly spoke, "I know you are. You don't have to be, apologizing for how you feel is stupid, you know? I know exactly what you're going through and I'm sorry that I…I'm just sorry" he said as he stumbled over his words. "But you should do one thing. Do one thing that I couldn't, that I didn't."_

_"What?"_

_"Get out of here and go after her, or you'll always regret it. Who did what is irrelevant, let it go and be with the woman you love" he ordered in a kind voice._

_"But she…"_

_Vincent was getting annoyed by Emily's reluctance, "Who the fuck cares Emily?! Who cares? She fucked up and I bet you did too. Remember, I've been in a relationship with you and I know how you can be. You never talk about what bothers you, you're a runner. It's why you're here right now. I bet you didn't even give her a chance. Did you ever even tell her what you wanted?"_

_Emily thought to what Vincent said and realized that he was right. She had never explicitly told JJ that she needed her or even that she wanted her on more than just a physical level. Even worse she never gave JJ the chance to explain, and she had believed Will, drunk Will. Fucking Will. She rubbed her temples and took a deep breath, "Everything is always so fucked up with us."_

_Vincent chuckled, "Isn't everything in life that's worth it?"_

_After a brief silence Emily spoke up, "Johanna is an idiot for letting you go."_

_"By that reasoning you're an idiot too."_

_"Maybe I am" Emily laughed._

_He shrugged as he scratched his head, "Well we all are when it comes to love. It turns even the best of us into bumbling idiots. Tell me the truth. Do you love her?"_

_"I think she's it for me."_

_"Then get out here before you do something you really regret."_

_"Any chance you'd want to date my friend Penelope Garcia?"_

_Vincent furrowed his brow as he contemplated the idea, "Well, wait, is she the quirky girl with the strange hair and kitten sticker sunglasses that was stalking me at your work the other day?"_

_"She's nice" Emily offered._

_Vincent laughed at the suggestion. "You know what? Just get out" he jokingly ordered with a smile._

_Emily turned back to gaze into Vincent's eyes for the final time before she left. "Thank you" was all she said as she left for the only place she ever really wanted to be._

* * *

><p>"Listen can we talk?" Emily asked nervously as she started to pick at her fingernails.<p>

"Yeah, let's go inside" JJ said as she inhaled a deep breath, worried about what the other woman was going to say. The walk inside the house was silent and it wasn't until the door was closed and JJ sat on the sofa that Emily began, pacing back as forth as she spoke.

"I know you're probably tired of talking, I am too but I need to say this." JJ cringed before Emily went on.

Emily took a deep breath before continuing, noticing the look of pure apprehension in JJ's sad blue eyes. "JJ there are a million reasons why I shouldn't be here, probably even more. I'm stubborn and reserved and emotionally crippled and you're selfish and jealous. Fuck, JJ you are so jealous it's ridiculous. And God forbid Seaver ever works with us again because you'll have a fucking aneurysm." JJ giggled as Emily ranted on, "And I run, I run away when I'm scared. And I pick my nails, it's a terrible habit and I can't stop. Everything about us is so damn complicated, I should be in a relationship with a guy like Vincent. I don't even know how to be in a relationship with a woman. I don't know how it works, is it even different? I have no clue. I have no idea, but I'm here. I'm here because I'm in love with you. I'm in love with you and no matter how much I don't want to be I am, because you're terrible but you're worth it. There are a million reasons why this won't work and I don't care about any of them because all I want is you. All I have ever wanted is you. And no matter how idiotic you can be for some reason I can't be scared off. And I just keep thinking, maybe that's all that matters. Because what we have, it isn't perfect but it's us. It's us, and I'm willing to fight for us. So I'm asking you again to choose me. Choose me over even the possibility of anyone else."

JJ smiled as the tears ran down her cheeks. She knew how hard that must have been for Emily to say, "Em you know it was always you." JJ stood up and pulled Emily into a deep kiss, running her tongue along Emily's lips, which quickly parted for her. Only pulling apart to gasp for air JJ burrowed her head in the crook of the other woman's neck "I love you so much. I have always loved you." After a few seconds passed JJ cut into the silence again, enjoying Emily's warm embrace. "And I did leave Will, you were never just a second choice."

"I know."

"I need you to know how much I love you Em. I need you to know that you always mattered to me, even when I said that it was just sex it wasn't. It was never just that. I was, I was just so scared that I'd lose you, that's the only reason I said it. I was worried that if we had a real relationship it wouldn't work out and I'd lose you forever. I can't lose you. And I was scared because I knew how much I needed you and it seemed like you didn't need me. And what if Strauss made you choose and you chose work over me? What if someday…"

"I'd never leave you JJ" Emily interjected, interrupting JJ's incessant rambling.

"Good" JJ sighed in relief. It was a simple sentence but it meant to world to her, because she knew that Emily consistently kept her word. "I'm terrible?" She murmured with a chuckle against Emily's neck.

"Well…" Emily confessed with a smirk. "I still love you."

"I'll take it."

"And you're jealous."

"I'm sorry. I try not to be" JJ offered.

"Well then you fail often" Emily commented dryly. The duo just stood in each other arms for a few more quiet moments before JJ took a deep breath and laughed.

"What?"

"I love you so much, but baby you smell."

"I didn't have a chance to take a shower. It was humid in Florida!" She defended much to JJ's amusement.

"Come on I'll help you" JJ grinned as she took Emily's hand and led her upstairs.

"I don't want your pity Jareau" Emily remarked defiantly with a smirk.

"Oh yes you do" JJ said seductively.

"Well…okay, I do" She admitted with a smile as she followed JJ through the hallway.

**Did you like Emily's little speech to JJ? **

**We're moving towards the end of this story, I know exactly how I want to "end" it. However, I have an idea of a sequel/companion piece for it. Tell me in the comments sections if you'd be interested reading it. It'd be centered around an already established JJ/Emily relationship and an original case. **


	21. Definitions

**The penultimate chapter. **

Emily braced herself against the shower wall as JJ kissed down her body. "JJ?"

"Yeah" JJ groaned, trying to focus on the task at hand, which was getting re-acquainted with Emily. All she had done over the last few months was try to forget the body in front her that she had come to know. The body that she had been so in tune with that it was almost an extension of her own. She had memorized every facet of it, which both comforted and haunted her over the months they were apart.

"What are we?"

"Em do you really want to do this now?"

Emily's breath hitched at the sudden loss of contact. "Yeah" She admitted as she felt JJ sigh against her stomach.

"Okay what did you ask me again?"

Emily laughed, "You weren't listening."

"I was distracted!"

"What are we, definition wise?"

"Seriously and exclusively dating" JJ smiled. "That okay with you Prentiss?"

"Yeah, Perfect...So no more of he who shall not be named?"

"Never. God you're such a weirdo. Why are you even thinking about him during a time like this? I didn't even think of him when…" JJ trailed off and blushed in embarrassment.

"Really? Who were you thinking of than?" Emily asked with a cocky grin.

"You already know" JJ admitted as she started to trail her fingers up Emily's thigh. "So do you want me to finish or not?"

"Fuck, yes please."

"Well then shut up and let me love you" JJ ordered with a laugh as she went back to kissing and nipping down Emily's body, loving the feeling of Emily's muscles twitch underneath her touch.

* * *

><p>Everything finally felt perfect for both Emily and JJ. They were both on the same page, they wanted the same things. They wanted each other. Not just in a physical capacity with the focal point put on their carnal needs, but on an emotional level. They desired a real relationship, with a real sense of commitment. Because it, they, were never just about sex, even when they both adamantly claimed it was only about a physical release. It was always something deeper. There was a singular connection that was in no way replicated by anyone else, not Will or Vincent or even Matthew. Of course JJ apologized over and over again for ever making Emily believe otherwise, and Emily apologized as well. She apologized for giving up on them so quickly. Emily knew that she wasn't one to normally stay and fight when a personal relationship became strained, she just ran away, wrote it off and moved on. It was the Prentiss way. But there was something that kept making her go back to JJ. Something that drew her to the woman lying next to her, and quite simply it was because JJ was, well, JJ. Emily knew she wasn't perfect, far from it, but she still wanted her anyway and vice versa. It had come to the point where they were both tired. They were tired of dancing around each other, tired of not admitting what they really wanted to be. Because this was who they were, this was who they chose to be. They were Emily and JJ, and that was all the definition they needed. It was more than just wanting each other, it was an innate need.<p>

The room was comfortably quiet as the two relaxed in JJ's bed. "Em?" JJ asked in a quiet voice.

"Yeah?"

"I really want to do this, us for real this time. I mean it, but if we're going to work you have to talk to me. You have to tell me what's bothering you and when you need me you have to let me know. All I want is to be here for you but you're going to have to lower your Prentiss walls. You can't shut me out. Okay?"

"Okay" Emily agreed as she nuzzled into JJ's hair and took a deep breath.

JJ smiled at the response, "Okay. So I'm planning our first date."

"JJ aren't we way past a first date? I mean we've been on like a thousand dates already."

"No we haven't."

"We go to lunch and have coffee together everyday" Emily countered.

"Yeah but that's work, it doesn't count."

"Well, I just don't think you have to worry about impressing me with a first date. I think we're past the whole getting to know you phase of a relationship."

"You mean like how you already know I'm terrible?" JJ giggled.

"Exactly." Emily knew she was never going to live that one down.

"So we're going to have to tell Hotch" JJ said softly as she ran her fingers up and down Emily's arm.

"How does he always manage to come up in these situations?" Emily softly asked with a chuckle as she thought back to his phone call that had interrupted them all those months ago. For Emily memory was relative, she could remember anything work related, but personally she had tried to block out certain memories. It was her most trusted defense mechanism. But with JJ things were different, things with JJ were always different. She acutely remembered every moment, savoring it even when the duo was separated. It was what kept her sane, remembering her time with JJ. Even when she was "supposed" to hate her, memories of JJ gave her a resemblance of happiness.

"He believed in us" JJ smiled interrupting Emily's thoughts.

"What do you mean?"

"Back in Florida..."

Emily interrupted, "Which time?"

"Before Pen was shot."

"We sure go to Florida a lot." Emily mused as she started to play with JJ's hair.

"I know right."

"A lot of sociopaths there I guess. I blame the humidity" Emily cracked before she continued on a more serious note, "So back to Hotch."

"Back to Hotch, he said to let him know if we got together again and when I said it probably wouldn't happen…"

"Hey!" Emily scolded as she hit JJ playfully on the arm.

"You hated me."

"True" Emily conceded with a smirk. "But for the record I was never able to really hate you."

"As sweet as that was, will you let me finish sometime this year?" JJ huffed in mock anger. Emily took the hint and motioned for the blonde to go on. "Well after I said it probably wouldn't happen he said that it's rare to find someone who understands the job and basically that if you do don't let them go." Emily smiled at the fatherly advice her boss had given her girlfriend. "And now we need to tell him."

"Okay, but it's going to suck."

"Why?"

Emily sighed, "Because you were right before. Everyone, especially PG and Morgan, are going to be watching our relationship all the time. She's probably trying to install surveillance cameras in here right now!"

JJ giggled at the very plausible claim, "But I don't care about that anymore, I love you and I don't want to hide it anymore."

Emily smiled at JJ's confession as their eyes locked. JJ had always been mesmerized by Emily's dark warm eyes. It wasn't a matter of merely being envious of them, which she was, but they were just so Emily. JJ felt like her own blue eyes could be interchanged with any other color, but she could only imagine Emily with deep brown eyes that contrasted with her fair skin and swirled with both love, warmth, and the slightest hint internal torture. "We'll tell them" Emily answered as JJ shifted in the bed to cuddle closer to Emily, "Jayje?"

"Yeah?"

"Since we're serious now and we're dating and you know I love you. Would you mind if, and don't be offended, but can I hire you a cleaning lady?"

JJ burst into laughter at the suggestion, "What's wrong with my house? It's clean!"

"Yeah you're right, for a hoarder it's immaculate" she quipped with an evil grin.

"Shut up" JJ jokingly ordered as she kissed Emily's temple. "God I love the way you smell, even when you're sweaty."

"You're so gross" Emily teased.

"It's pheromones, Reid told me!" JJ defended much to Emily's amusement.

"Well if I smelled so good then why did you make me shower?" Emily challenged.

"I was just trying to get you into the shower" JJ admittedly quietly as Emily started laughing again. "God I missed this, I missed having you in my life. My life was a fucking mess without you."

Emily took a deep breath, "Mine too. I never want to go through that again. It was terrible, you're honestly my best friend in the world and there were so many times I wanted to talk to you and I felt like I couldn't."

"Tell me now then" JJ kindly order as she gazed into Emily's eyes and took her hand, intertwining the fingers that fit perfectly together.

"Are you sure?"

"Always" JJ smiled as Emily finally opened up to her. Emily told her about growing up abroad, Matthew, her mother, her disappointments about the Pittsburgh cases, and about how much she had truly missed JJ. After hours of just comfortably talking and bantering back and forth the couple drifted off to sleep in a mid-afternoon nap. That is until they were interrupted by a knocking at the door.


	22. I Promise

**The final chapter of Purgatory. I already have a companion piece in mind. **

**Thanks to all who read/reviewed, I always love reading your responses and predictions.**

**But we're not quite done with Emily/JJ yet...**

"Make them go away" Emily groaned into her pillow as she felt JJ stirring beside her.

"I'm getting it, you don't have to get out of bed" JJ assured as she walked downstairs looked out the peephole to find Garcia on her doorstep. "Fuck me" she murmured as she opened the door. She wanted to have a few more moments with Emily alone. "Hey Pen" she greeted with a fake smile that didn't go unnoticed by the perceptive technical analyst.

"Oh buttercup you look worse than I thought you would" Garcia _kindly?_ said as she waltzed into the house uninvited. "Don't worry the chocolate Adonis and boy wonder are at Emster's house to help her come to her senses. I swear sometimes that woman really works my weave."

_Works my weave? What the fuck is this woman talking about? Why don't I have any normal friends? _"Uh okay, I should go put on some more clothes" JJ replied, trying to get away from Garcia to warn Emily. She quickly made her way up the stairs and violently shook Emily awake.

"What the fuck JJ?" Emily asked curtly.

"Garcia is here and unless you want to be found in my bed naked you need to get yourself presentable!"

Emily just waved her off not wanting to leave the bed, "Just keep her downstairs."

"Emily it's Pen, I have no control over what that woman does."

"Well you should learn" a grumpy Emily instructed.

"You know what? You act like an old curmudgeon when you're sleepy. It's not your best quality."

"Now I'm just devastated" Emily replied back sarcastically as JJ sighed at her cranky girlfriend's behavior.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile back downstairs Penelope Garcia was starting to worry. "What do you mean she's not there!"<p>

"I don't know baby girl we're here and she's not answering. Prentiss has gone MIA on us" Morgan replied on the other end of the line, standing outside of Emily's front door which Reid was still knocking on. "How bad did she sound last night?"

"I just talked to JJ but I'm guessing devastated. JJ looks terrible right now, she answered the door only wearing a robe and looked exhausted which means that Emily's probably doing just as bad. See if Reid can fit though any small openings to get into her apartment and make sure to take all her wine, knifes, and shoelaces" she directed, to the indignation of the young genius.

"I am not breaking into Emily's house" Reid replied adamantly over the speaker phone.

"Emily might be in danger and we need your skinny childlike figure put to good use!"

"I am not a child!"

"Reid stop being like this."

"It's breaking and entering."

Garcia scoffed at Reid's concerns, "Like Emster will even press charges."

"Baby girl I am telling you, she is not here" Morgan loudly stated as he cut into Reid and Garcia's bickering.

"That's even worse! With her depression over the whole JJ situation she could be passed out drunk in the streets somewhere. What if someone abducts her?! I would! I'm going to track her phone" Garcia stated as if it was the most logical line of thinking on the planet. She quickly hung up the phone, growing tired of Reid's protests and called out to JJ, "Jayje can I use you computer?"

"Sure" JJ called from upstairs as she remained arguing with a lazy Emily.

Garcia began to fervently type on the laptop until she was able to get a location. "It's coming from inside the house? Those sneaky little wenches" she grinned as she rubbed her hands together in anticipation.

"Get out of bed you bum" JJ ordered as she poked Emily in the face.

"Just let me be happy" Emily complained as she swatted at JJ's hands. "You're not my mother."

"Fine" JJ huffed, pretending to walk away before suddenly turning on her heels and ripping the comforters off Emily. However, any feelings of triumph were quickly squashed when Garcia barged into the room, seeing Emily at her most exposed moment.

"JJ you lucky girl" she winked to JJ as Emily desperately grabbed at a pillow to cover herself.

"GET THE FUCK OUT!" She yelled as Garcia slunk back to outside of the room. Emily then turned her attention to a horrified looking JJ. _Please God be a nightmare, please be a nightmare_ JJ mentally repeated as she noticed Emily point at her. "And you, I hope you enjoyed the show because that's the last you'll be seeing of that for a long time. Out!" Emily ordered to a terrified JJ.

"Fuck my life" JJ groaned as she walked down the stairs to find Garcia grinning like Cheshire cat. "Not a word Penelope or I'll never get laid again, and now you know what a shame that would be" she ordered as she sank down on the sofa next to Garcia.

Garcia lifted her hands in surrender as she giggled. After a few moments of awkward silence Garcia spoke up. "So...I'm happy for you" she offered in a small voice as JJ busted into a fit of laughter.

"Thanks Pen."

"Is she everything you wanted?"

JJ shook her head 'no' and spoke up with an unmistakable twinkle in her eyes, "More."

As she quietly walked down the stairs Emily had overheard the response JJ had given and smiled, quickly forgiving the other woman. But she just didn't let her know that quite then.

* * *

><p>The next few months had gone by relatively uneventfully, well as uneventful as the BAU could be, for the couple who had all but started living together. They had gotten into a habit of going on dates outside of the BAU and Emily was working on opening up to JJ. She had began to admit when she needed the blonde, and it had helped JJ not feel so insecure about their relationship. In her mind their coupling wasn't so one-sided, and she like the fact that there were some things that Emily only shared with her. There was a certain sense of closeness that resulted from their long intimate talks where Emily shared her innermost thoughts. It was these deep discussions and confessions that aided their relationship, adding a new layer of intimacy to their already strong friendship. But they had gone through difficult patches, including a time when Emily had gone through a particularly dark space a few weeks after the two started dating.<p>

_"Fuck fuck fuck!" Emily ranted as she ran into __JJ's office, slamming the door behind her, slumping down into the open chair._

_"What is it baby? You look like you just saw a ghost" JJ asked in a concerned tone as she looked up from her paperwork. _

_"I wish that was all I just saw" Emily shuddered._

_"Was it a really bad __case?" JJ inquired as she took Emily's shaking hands into her own._

_"No, it was, it was bad. There was steam and screaming and begging…"_

_"Emily, honey, use your words." JJ was really started to worry as she noted that Emily looked more pale than normal. _

_"I was just cold. You know how I hate to be cold."_

_"Baby what are you taking about?" JJ asked as she tried to coax it out of the brunette._

_"I went to the car to get my sweater and I saw, I saw…"_

_"Emily, do we need to call the police?" JJ asked in a firmer tone as she started rubbing the other woman's hands soothingly. _

_"No we're, we're way past that." Emily gulped before she went on, "I saw Strauss and Rossi having sex in the car next to ours!"_

_"Oh my fucking god! That's somehow worse than what I imagined!" JJ yelled in complete shock as she let go of Emily's hands and tried to shield her eyes from the imagery that was racing through her mind, it didn't work. "Why did you have to tell me there was begging?'_

_"It was so bad" Emily complained as she rested her head on JJ's desk. "It was foggy and steamy and there were hand prints. It was like the AARP version of the sex scene from Titanic. I think I have PTSD from it, I'm damaged for life now. Just get out now before it all goes to shit."_

_JJ couldn't help by giggle, "W-what did you do?"_

_"They had just, uh, finished when I got my sweater out of the car and I didn't know what to say. So I just said, 'Ma'am, I thought I should let you know that me and Agent Jareau are dating' and then I left."_

_JJ gasped at the confession, "You did what?!"_

_"It was the only good thing that could come out THAT situation! I mean what she's supposed to say when doing THAT in a car, at her work, with her subordinate? And it was loud too and I know she knew that I heard, because I did!" Emily squeaked in horror. _

_"Well then it all worked out then" JJ remarked with a smile._

_"Says the person who doesn't now need a full decade of intensive therapy" Emily smirked as JJ began to laugh again. Emily truly was her best friend and no one could make her laugh__ quite like Emily could._

_"I love you so much."_

_"I love you too" Emily smiled. "But I am really scarred for life. I don't think I'll ever be the same."_

_"Eh, I guess I'll still keep you anyway" JJ shrugged._

_Emily rolled her eyes and sarcastically replied, "How very charitable of you. Maybe I should start looking for a partner that can cope with my new level of emotional torment."_

_"Yeah think that's best" JJ commented with a small smile. She loved joking around with Emily. She loved how fun her relationship was, how natural it felt. _

_Emily sighed as she stood up from the chair and walked towards the door, turning around to face JJ before she opened it, "Hey JJ?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Do you still have Ashley Seaver's number?" She inquired with a smirk as JJ scowled._

_"Oh you are so paying for that when we get home Prentiss" JJ laughed as Emily winked at her and walked out the door. _

* * *

><p>In addition to flowing well on a personal level in their relationship, at work Emily and JJ were able to remain consummate professionals and strove to keep their personal relationship separate from their working one. There weren't any instances of PDA in local police precincts and only occasional hand grazing on plane rides home after exceptionally difficult cases. It wasn't that they were ashamed of anything or that the team cared, they just didn't want their relationship to be tainted by the horrors that they saw on the job. Additionally, Emily worried that their dating would affect how they behaved in the field and she knew that for the sake of the team's safety they would have to combat that. The New York terrorism case had been tough on the couple, but the Benjamin Cyrus case in La Plata County, Colorado had been worse. Nevertheless, during the case, even when Emily was being savagely beaten by the cult leader, JJ was able to keep a clear head and remain professional. It was a quality that Hotch had appreciated and the rest of the team had admired. After the ordeal was over and talking with Reid, Emily moved to talk to JJ on the plane ride home.<p>

"You scared me" JJ quietly admitted as she gazed out the window.

"I know" Emily replied as she discretely took JJ's hand.

"You look like shit" JJ said with the smallest of smiles.

"I know that too" Emily chuckled. "Jen" Emily said more seriously. Calling JJ "Jen" denoted that the conversation was headed in a more solemn direction, and it was something that JJ picked up on immediately. "You know I had to do it. Reid is just starting to cope with Tobias Hankel and I know he could take it, but should he have? Taken it I mean. I knew I could handle it..."

"I know" JJ admitted. She turned to face Emily and softly spoke, "I know it's not fair and it's not even possible, but I need you to promise me. I need you to promise me that you're always going to be okay. I just need you to promise me you're going to be okay no matter what" JJ pleaded softly.

"I promise" Emily firmly stated without a doubt evident in her voice.

However, it was only 6 months later when Emily broke that promise.

**To be continued...**


	23. Uncertainty Preview

**Here's a preview of the companion piece I'm working on, Uncertainty. It is violent so do NOT read if violence or torture bothers you.**

Her face was bleeding, mixing on the concrete floor with the blood that was constantly dripping from her head. The crimson stained the light grey floor under her. Her eyes were opened but everything was blurry and she didn't know whether it was from the frequent blows to the head or the drugs that flowed through her system. If she was honest she didn't know which she hated more, the drugs that paralyzed her mind or the hits that were taking a toll of her body. She was chained to a wall, forced to remain standing through it all, but her body had started to sag. Her hands were bound and hanging above her head, leaving her body vulnerable for his frequent beatings. Her head pounded as the blaring heavy metal continued. All she wanted was for it all to be over, all she wanted was to go home to JJ. She didn't want to do this anymore, she couldn't do this anymore. But she had made a promise to JJ a few months prior. She had promised that she would always be okay, and giving up and dying would most certainly not be keeping that promise. She cringed when she noticed that the music had stopped. _He _walked through the door and moved from within mere inches of her face.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU TELL THEM?!" He screamed at the top of his lungs as Emily shuddered, the noise only further exasperating her migraine. "ELIZABETA!"

"I don't know what you're talking about" Emily confessed as she felt him pummel her body, this time with a left hook that connected to her ribs, knocking the air our of her lungs.

"DON'T LIE TO ME!"

"I'M NOT" She struggled to get out over the pain.

"Okay then, we're going to have to go about a different way of doing this aren't we not darling?" He informed her as he smiled evilly before continuing, "Let's try a few ideas I got from that Russian prison you sent me to. How does that sound love?"

"I don't know you! I didn't send you anywhere you fucking idiot!" She yelled back, with him not bothering to reply to her defense as he just calmly walked out of the door. Emily was determined to not show any weakness. Agent Prentiss was unfazed by his methods of torture. But Emily Prentiss was scared. She shivered in the freezing cold room as her thoughts went back to JJ.

* * *

><p>2 DAYS EARLIER<p>

"Thanks Hotch, see you on the plane" JJ replied back as she hung up the phone. She looked over to the sleeping brunette and lightly kissed her exposed shoulder. "Em, you need to get up." She lightly nudged the brunette, who was most definitely not the most jovial person in the mornings. "Baby we have a case."

"Why can't people just stop murdering everyone?" Emily complained into her pillow with a grumpy tone.

"I know" JJ coaxed as she rubbed Emily's back. "Come darling on you have to get up."

"Fine, but don't call me darling."

"Why not?" JJ asked in a hurt tone.

"My mother does" Emily chuckled as she got off the bed and started to get redressed. Fortunately for her she always had her go bag with her. Unfortunately for her she didn't have a lot of clean clothing left in it, so she was going to have to do the walk of shame, into a confined space, with a group of profilers. She wished that she had brought more clothes over to JJ's house, as all the clothes she had there currently were dirty. Emily sighed as she looked at the clothes on the floor and JJ figured out what bothered her.

"You should borrow something of mine, again" she offered.

"You are a life saver" Emily exclaimed as JJ handed her a pair of dark pants and a white shirt that Emily could pair with her charcoal grey jacket. "I should start leaving more clothes here" Emily commented as she bit the bottom of her lip.

"Or we should just move in together" JJ suggested. "I mean it's been seven months and we basically live together as it is."

"We could get a cat!" Emily exclaimed in excitement. "But where are we going to live?"

"I don't care, I guess we could live in your apartment."

"You guess?" Emily could see the hesitation on JJ's face. "Do you not like my apartment? I won't be offended if you don't."

"It's not that. It's amazing" JJ confessed as she shook her head. "I just, don't get freaked out. But it's not very child friendly."

"And we don't have children."

JJ finished getting dressed and worried that she had picked the wrong time for this discussion. In fact the couple had never talked about children after Emily revealed to JJ that it was impossible for her to ever carry a child. JJ knew it was a sore subject, but she also knew that sometime in the future she wanted there to be a possibility of children. She meant what she said on that plane almost a year and a half ago, she could see Emily with kids. Their kids. "I know" she quietly spoke.

"JJ, do you think we can talk about this when we aren't rushing off to find a serial killer?" Emily asked with a smile.

"Yeah."

"And I'm sorry that I can't…" Emily trailed off as she JJ enveloped her in a hug.

"Don't ever feel like you have to apologize for that" JJ whispered as she pulled back, allowing Emily to finish getting ready. "You are so hot. How did I ever get you?" JJ mumbled as she saw Emily quickly brush her hair.

"Yeah because you're basically an ogre" Emily quipped as she quickly kissed JJ before rushing out of the bedroom to get her go bag from the living room. JJ just laughed at the statement as she grabbed the last of her things and headed out the door.

**Still not Ian Doyle.**


End file.
